Levin says surge must boost Afghan army

Levin says surge must boost Afghan army
By Richard Lardner - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Nov 29, 2009 13:21:54 EST

WASHINGTON — The leading Senate Democrat on military matters says President Barack Obama’s anticipated plan for significantly expanding U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan must show how these reinforcements will help increase the size of the Afghan security forces.

Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday that more Afghan soldiers and police officers are central to succeeding in the war, and more U.S. trainers and equipment can help meet that goal. But it’s unclear, Levin said, what role tens of thousands additional combat troops will play and Obama has to make a compelling case during a national address he’s scheduled to give Tuesday night from West Point.

“The key here is an Afghan surge, not an American surge,” Levin said. “We cannot, by ourselves, win war.”

Levin’s remarks are a preview of the possible roadblocks Obama faces from his own party as he prepares to sell a broader, more expensive battle plan for Afghanistan to an American public weary of the conflict that began just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

At West Point, Obama is expected to announce an increase of up to 35,000 more U.S. forces to defeat the Taliban-led insurgency and stabilize a weak Afghan government. The escalation, which would take place over the next year, would put more than 100,000 American troops in Afghanistan at an annual cost of about $75 billion. Levin and other Democrats are concerned over the price tag and have proposed a war tax to pay for operations.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_afghanistan_112909/



unhappycamper comment: I'm hoping Obama clearly details metrics to measure 'success', a way to pay for the additional $34 billion dollars per year the additioanl 34,000 soldiers will cost, and even more inportantly, an exit strategy.