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Afghanistan
US Deploys 13,000 Extra Troops to Afghanistan
2009-10-14
[Quqnoos] US President dispatches an extra 13,000 troops to Afghanistan beyond the 21,000 he announced in March, The Washington Post reported

The extra forces are mainly support forces -- such as engineers, medical personnel, intelligence experts and military police -- the Post added.

The number brings the total of US troops Barack Obama has approved since he took office in January to 34,000.

Obama authorised the whole thing. The only thing you saw announced in a press release was the 21,000, The post quoted a defense official familiar with the troop-approval process as saying.

The report comes as President Obama mulls over further reinforcement of troops on the ground. His top commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has reportedly requested more 40,000 forces.

But the newspaper noted that the maximum number of US service members expected in Afghanistan by years end -- 68,000 -- would remain the same.

Some 65,000 US forces are currently in Afghanistan and nearly 40,000 from other NATO allies, including Britain, Germany and Canada.
Posted by:Fred

#5  The State Department and the various NGOs were supposed to take care of this, along with the various NATO states that refuse to send actual troops. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened to the Department of Defence had to take up the slack. The sad thing is, they'll probably do a much better job than the professionals who aren't there.
Posted by: trailing wife   2009-10-14 21:21  

#4  Better get things quieted before sending in support personnel. But that would mean more combat troops. Hey Obama they won't take away your Nobel Peace prize--you already got it.
Posted by: JohnQC   2009-10-14 16:25  

#3  Sounds like it's a nod to the administration faction that wanted humanitarian-assistance rather than combat troops.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-10-14 12:36  

#2  "More than 40,000" > OTOH COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG = TOP TROOP REQUEST EXCEEDS 60,000.

* SAME > AFGHAN HEZBOLLAH? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR....
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-10-14 03:11  

#1  Just a little more then a quarter of what was requested only proves that the US Military is doing more with less.
Posted by: Sarge Reports   2009-10-14 02:23  

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