McChrystal's request for more troops temporarily shelved

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60429-mcchrystal-troop-request-temporarily-shelved


McChrystal's request for more troops temporarily shelved
By Jordan Fabian - 09/26/09 02:11 PM ET


U.S. and NATO Afghanistan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal's long-awaited report containing a request for additional troops on Saturday was submitted to the Pentagon, but the Defense Department will hold it until the Obama administration reconfigures its Afghan strategy.

Spokesman Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis told media outlets today that McChrystal hand delivered the report to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Adm. James Stavridis.

In the report, which was leaked to the Washington Post on Monday, McChrystal warned of "mission failure" if the size of the allied force in Afghanistan remains the same.

The White House, however, has asserted that it will review the nation's entire Afghan strategy before considering McChrystal's request.But top Republican lawmakers have been pressuring the administration to act quickly.

"Right now the focus is on the strategic assessment itself. {The troop request} will be shelved until such time that the White House is ready," a defense official told Reuters.

"It is not going to be addressed, or reviewed, or analyzed until the White House is ready to begin discussing it," the official added.

Allied forces in the war-torn country have experienced heavy losses in the last couple of months. But President Barack Obama described himself last week as a "skeptical audience" of the troop request.

[AllyCat]

1. Well, there's an idea. Evaluate BEFORE sending our troops to battle

I remain skeptical that Obama will stop these wars, and in fact, he seems to have escalated them on some fronts. I'm glad to see there is a stay of hand here to look at the facts.

[Cha]

2. May all the valuble information

come that they need to make the right decision to wrap this up the best way.

I know they can't ignore the terrorists that only breeded more after bush+cheney bombed Iraq for no reason.