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Obama Will Send 34,000 U.S. Troops to Afghanistan
McClatchy ^ | Monday, November 23, 2009

Posted on 11/23/2009 8:13:54 PM PST by kristinn

President Barack Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he's called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy.

Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials said.

The U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and because, one official said, the White House is incensed by leaks on its Afghanistan policy that didn't originate in the White House.

They said the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, could arrive in Washington as early as Sunday to participate in the rollout of the new plan, including testifying before Congress toward the end of next week. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry also are expected to appear before congressional committees.

As it now stands, the plan calls for the deployment over a nine-month period beginning in March of three Army brigades from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and a Marine brigade from Camp Lejeune, N.C., for as many as 23,000 additional combat and support troops.

In addition, a 7,000-strong division headquarters would be sent to take command of U.S.-led NATO forces in southern Afghanistan — to which the U.S. has long been committed — and 4,000 U.S. military trainers would be dispatched to help accelerate...

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; bhogwot; fourth100days; mcchrystal; obama; oef; oefsurge
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To: JerseyDvl

Barry will be lucky to have poll numbers hovering in the 30s by “Dec 7th” - fitting


61 posted on 11/23/2009 9:35:38 PM PST by VRWCTexan (Obama-scare is the "real" Cash for Clunker Program!)
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To: kristinn

GEN McChrystal;

Sir, you took an oath to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC.

Have the balls. Resign rather than accept this!


62 posted on 11/23/2009 9:36:32 PM PST by MindBender26 (Never kick leftists when they're down. Wait till they're half way back up. You get better leverage!)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

Lots of people where I live with Obama ‘08 bumper stickers and right next to them “War is not the Answer.” Be sure to ask anyone you see with these just how that Obama thing is working out for them....


63 posted on 11/23/2009 9:36:55 PM PST by Fu-fu2
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
I certainly wouldn’t want this guy as my personal physician. You go in with an arterial wound and he tells you to take an aspirin and he’ll get back to you in three months with his final recommendation.

Well at least his military policy is consistent with his health care policy. Ahem.

64 posted on 11/23/2009 9:41:52 PM PST by Publius Maximus (God, please let 2010 and 2012 come quickly...)
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To: EternalVigilance

God bless your boy, and all the other mothers’ sons who are going over there to fight valiantly for a CIC who despises them.

I pray for them every day.


65 posted on 11/23/2009 9:44:34 PM PST by Palladin (Holder and Obama terrorize New Yorkers.)
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To: kristinn
Woooo Hooooo! It took O’Buttboy only 10 months to pick a number between 30,000 and 40,000! What an intellectual giant! And...soooooo nuanced!
66 posted on 11/23/2009 9:44:47 PM PST by April Lexington (Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
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To: MindBender26
Resign rather than accept this!

Resign, my *ss! Occupy the White House and liberate America before its too late!

67 posted on 11/23/2009 9:46:25 PM PST by April Lexington (Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
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To: mathurine

I like the way you think.


68 posted on 11/23/2009 9:46:40 PM PST by Palladin (Holder and Obama terrorize New Yorkers.)
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To: kristinn
It took Obama three long months to come up with McChrystal-lite.
If he were doing his job he would have known enough in August to
decide within weeks after having the recommendation vetted.


I suspect he was cowed into doing this.
As I heard on radio news (FOX?) that NATO was sending out "requests"
for countries participating in operations in Afghanistan to
increase the number of personnel and materiale to the fight.

IF Obama does follow on in sending the extra 34,000 American troops,
here is his greatest fear:

Accidentally appointing some battle-field commander that actually
fights like General Grant.

In the rare likelihood that Obama makes that sort of mistake...
it will be interesting to see if he simply does a cut-and-run
in order to not offend his fellow-travelers in The Taliban.

More likely, he'll just have the fighting commander court-martialed.
And tell our troops to stand in place and just take the abuse.
69 posted on 11/23/2009 9:47:29 PM PST by VOA
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To: kristinn

gee wonder how that blonde has been whose son died during the bush admin feels about this. I can’t even remember her name. The useful idiot who got dropped then tried to run against Pelosi.


70 posted on 11/23/2009 9:50:18 PM PST by television is just wrong (one big ass mistake America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: kristinn
a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he's called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan...

That's what they said about Vietnam.
71 posted on 11/23/2009 9:54:52 PM PST by Deo volente (Sarah Palin was right! There ARE death panels.)
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To: Typical_Whitey; kristinn
He has no respect for our military .... none...

Our "Commander-in-Chief" showing his patriotism on Veteran's Day 2009

72 posted on 11/23/2009 9:59:41 PM PST by nutmeg (Rush Limbaugh & Sarah Palin agree: NO third parties! Take back the GOP)
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To: Deo volente

Looks like he’s going to give less troops than requested, then trickle them in there and ultimately declare defeat and pull out.


73 posted on 11/23/2009 10:00:11 PM PST by word_warrior_bob (You can now see my amazing doggie and new puppy on my homepage!! Come say hello to Jake & Sonny)
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To: StarFan; Dutchy; alisasny; BobFromNJ; BUNNY2003; Cacique; Clemenza; Coleus; cyborg; DKNY; ...

Thanks, kristinn, for the heads up on this story...


74 posted on 11/23/2009 10:00:38 PM PST by nutmeg (Rush Limbaugh & Sarah Palin agree: NO third parties! Take back the GOP)
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
I certainly wouldn’t want this guy as my personal physician. You go in with an arterial wound and he tells you to take an aspirin and he’ll get back to you in three months with his final recommendation.

And then his final recommendation is to take a pain pill.

75 posted on 11/23/2009 10:03:43 PM PST by TheThinker
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To: SaxxonWoods

Looks like the decision has been made. This is a White House leak to prepare the Dem base for the bad news (from their perspective) that we are not immediately turning tail and running. Doubtful that McChrystal resigns, I think he has already OK’ed this number as barely sufficient, with adjustments. It’s a make or break moment for him, he can try to blame Obama if things go bad, but he will be tainted. I’m going to trust our military to win under adverse conditions. They’ve done so before.


76 posted on 11/23/2009 10:11:42 PM PST by SaxxonWoods (TIME Person Of The Year, 2006 (You can look it up!).)
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To: kristinn
If he were doing his job he would have known enough in August to decide within weeks after having the recommendation vetted.

Exactly! There were only a few possible directions Gen. McChrystal's recommendations could have gone and the President should have been prepared for them all with the response he wanted to give. But 0bambi is not really a President he's a Pretender. No executive experience means he sits and waits for things to happen.

77 posted on 11/23/2009 10:11:49 PM PST by TigersEye (Sarah Palin 2010 - We Can't Afford To Wait)
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To: kristinn

Here comes another Vietnam


78 posted on 11/23/2009 10:14:49 PM PST by TheDailyChange (Politics,Conservatism,Liberalism)
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This oBama character needs to give the Generals the support they've requested NOW; no questions; no phased-in liberal games; no delays.

Give the Generals on the ground exactly what they need. Period.

79 posted on 11/23/2009 10:16:41 PM PST by NoRedTape
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To: nutmeg; ~Kim4VRWC's~

Kim .. had you found THAT pic yet? If not ....there it is.


80 posted on 11/23/2009 10:16:42 PM PST by STARWISE (They (LIBS-STILL) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war- Richard Miniter)
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