Obama: No plans for additional troop increase in Afghanis

[G_j]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There are no immediate plans to commit more U.S. troops to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, President Obama said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama said he would consult with U.S. allies before determining a strategy in Afghanistan after last month's elections there.

"I'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions," Obama said. "There is no immediate decision pending on resources, because one of the things that I'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources."

The United States has about 62,000 U.S. troops in the country, and NATO allies -- including Canada -- have another 35,000. The Pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year.

There have been indications that Obama soon could be asked to commit even more American troops. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, however, has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/16/obama.harper.afghanistan/index.html

[Braulio]

1. Obama's Viet Nam?

We have more troops in Afghanistan than the Soviets did at their peak. Sending more troops will only make Afghanistan look a lot more like Obama's Viet Nam. I'm sure most Americans don't even know why the heck US troops are fighting there - as a matter of fact, I bet if we were to ask 10 US senators, we would get 10 different answers.

[FrenchieCat]

3. It was Bush's Vietnam; will be Obama's Korea.

[kiva]

2. Interesting, considering that there's an article in

the Army Times today saying that more 'non-combat' troops (echos of Vietnam) are headed for Afghanistan:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4062084

[Mari333]

4. and how many mercenaries are we paying with our tax dollars to be there?

there are more MERCS then US` soldiers there now.
if the goddamned war machine is going to have their privatized CORPORATE WARS, the least they can do is NOT use OUR tax money.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

5. RECONSTRUCTION,...NOW!!!

Make damn sure the Afgan people are handed the resources to reconstruct with our troops guarding them along the way!!!