Actually, Obama approved an additional 17,000 troops for Afghanistan in Feb, 2009. That request had been made in August, 2008 and Bush had not acted on it in the interim.
Let’s at least get the facts correct here. This is info which is readily available on the net and easily verified.
The fact that the request for additional troops went unanswered for 5 months is actually accurate.
“Let’s at least get the facts correct here.”
I concur: let’s do that:
2008 September - President Bush sends an extra 4,500 US troops to Afghanistan, in a move he described as a “quiet surge”. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1162108.stm
This suggests Bush responded rather IMMEDIATELY to the request for more troops (and Germany added an additional 3,500 troops in Oct. according to same source).
Yes, Obama DID add 17,000 in Feb.—good for him!—but McChrystal’s request for a MINIMUM of 40,000 and ideally 60,000 [http://news.antiwar.com/2009/10/09/gen-mcchrystal-now-seeking-over-60000-more-troops-for-afghanistan/] already took these additional soldiers into account. It’s pretty obvious McChrystal got muzzled in Oct. when news of his recommendations leaked, as our CIC didn’t particularly care to get boxed in by military realities.
In short, tough guy candidate Obama—who complained repeatedly and bitterly about Bush having “under-resourced” the fight in Afghanistan—was superseded by the wimp who now sits in the Oval Office. This wimp overrode the seasoned combat experience of the general he hand-selected to run the war by giving him only half of what he requested (or 25% less than the minimum essential number requested).
Al Qaeda and the Taliban no doubt have drawn the correct conclusion from Obama’s decision: he’s far more afraid of Nancy Pelosi (and fellow travelers in Congress and the liberal elite) than he is of them.