Sources: More US troops for Afghan war

Source: AP

Sources: More US troops for Afghan war

By ANNE GEARAN and PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writers Anne Gearan And Pamela Hess, Associated Press Writers – 45 mins ago

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to dispatch additional U.S. troops plus hundreds of civilian advisers in hopes of turning around a faltering war in Afghanistan and will recommend increasing aid to neighboring Pakistan so long as leaders there confront militancy, people familiar with the forthcoming plan said Thursday.

Obama plans to lay out his revamped strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday. Several sources told The Associated Press it includes 20 recommendations for countering a persistent insurgency that spans the two countries' border.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs would not discuss specifics of the plan, but said Obama is beginning to discuss its findings with members of Congress and others. Obama's top military advisers briefed key lawmakers Thursday.

In broad terms, Obama will define U.S. objectives as eliminating the threat from al-Qaida to undermine or topple U.S.-backed elected governments or to launch attacks on the United States, its interests and allies, the sources said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan

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From Think Progress:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/26/kristol-kagan-fpi /

"A newly-formed and still obscure neo-conservative foreign policy organisation is giving some observers flashbacks to the 1990s, when its predecessor staked out the aggressively unilateralist foreign policy that came to fruition under the George W. Bush administration.

"The blandly-named Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) - the brainchild of Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, neo-conservative foreign policy guru Robert Kagan, and former Bush administration official Dan Senor - has thus far kept a low profile; its only activity to this point has been to sponsor a conference pushing for a U.S. “surge” in Afghanistan."

I also think "they" is out of office...I am going to give our President a chance...To leave Afghanistan would be reckless. I am a vet and I hate war but we need to be there and had Bush done his job instead of going to Iraq to pad the pockets of him and Dick's military contractor's pockets then things might be much diff.

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — Concerned about the faltering war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama plans to dispatch thousands more military and civilian trainers on top of the 17,000 fresh combat troops he's already ordered, people familiar with the forthcoming plan said Thursday.

Obama, who plans to lay out his revamped strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday, also will call for increasing aid to neighboring Pakistan as long as its leaders confront militants in the border region.

Several sources told The Associated Press the strategy includes 20 recommendations for countering a persistent insurgency that spans the two countries' border, including sending 4,000 U.S. trainers to try to increase the size of the Afghan army.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs would not discuss specifics of the plan, but said Obama is beginning to discuss its findings with members of Congress and others. Obama's top military advisers briefed key lawmakers Thursday.

In broad terms, Obama will define U.S. objectives as eliminating the threat from al-Qaida to undermine or topple U.S.-backed elected governments or to launch attacks on the United States, its interests and allies, the sources said.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/26/afghan-war-to-get-more-us_n_179661.html

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:puke: :puke: :puke:

I personally don't want the Taliban in control of Afghanistan, since the last time they were it didn't work out all that well for the US. Obama at least understands the linkage between the Taliban, the border areas with Pakistan and terrorism.

dunno why huffpo just 'discovered it' yet again

US to unveil new Afghan strategy

US President Barack Obama is to unveil his long-awaited Afghan strategy review and is expected to send thousands more troops and civilian officials.

US officials say Friday's announcement will focus on targeting "safe havens" for al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.

The strategy will cement the new US regional approach, coupling Afghanistan and Pakistan as a single challenge.

Security in Afghanistan will also be tackled at an international conference hosted by Russia on Friday.

<snip>

The strategy is also expected to unveil an extra 4,000 troops for Afghanistan, in addition to the 17,000 troops already due for deployment this year. There are 38,000 already on the ground.

<snip>

Our correspondent says that Mr Obama may seek, after seven years of operations, to explain America's goals.

<more>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7966982.stm