President Obama announced plans for a surge in Afghanistan on Dec. 1, saying he would add 30,000 troops to the country within six months to fight the Taliban and threats from Al Qaeda in Pakistan. But, he said, the United States would start bringing American troops home by the middle of 2011. You can read Obama's remarks here.
The New York Times has a must-read, lengthy explanation of how the Obama administration decided on the strategy. It's daunting, but definitely worth a read.
Obama's announcement left many conservatives concerned that by advocating both a surge and a withdrawal date, Obama was not giving the troops enough time to do its job. Liberals, on the other hand, said the surge was not a good use of American resources, both in money and personnel.
So what can 30,000 additional troops do in just 18 months? Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believes the time can be used to disrupt the Taliban enough that it will be easier for Afghan security forces to contain them when the Americans leave.
Related reading:
Photo copyright: The White House
Comments