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Obama to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan

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Teddy Roosevelt:
WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama will Tuesday announce a swift six-month surge of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, but sketch an "end game" to the war by saying an exit strategy will begin within three years.
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Obama will unveil a political and military gamble aimed at reining in the Taliban insurgency, destroying Al-Qaeda and training the Afghan army in a globally awaited speech, after an exhaustive months-long policy review.

The president has settled on a 30,000 strong troop surge, but decided that the new forces must be rushed into the fight within six months to be most effective, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But keen to signal to Afghan leaders and a wary American public that the US commitment is not endless, he will mention a date well before the end of his current term in 2013 for a US drawdown to begin, the official said.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs meanwhile said Obama would "absolutely" spell out for Americans how and when they could expect to see US forces finally come home from a war launched after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

"This will not be nation building. This is not an open-ended commitment, what we are doing is putting forward a comprehensive strategy and an end-game in Afghanistan," Gibbs told MSNBC.

The speech at the US Military Academy at West Point at 8:00 pm (0100 GMT Wednesday), is already shaping up as the biggest test so far for Obama in a young presidency defined by multiple crises.

He must convince skeptics fearing a Vietnam-style quagmire that an escalation will paradoxically lead to withdrawal.

Opinion polls show sliding public support for the war, with more than 900 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan and October the deadliest month yet with 74 US combat deaths. Many more foreign troops and Afghans have died.

Hours before heading to West Point, Obama laid out his new strategy in an hour-long video conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, officials in Kabul and Washington said.

A US official would not go into detail about the discussions, but Obama aides have said the president will set clear expectations for the Afghan government in improving security and cracking down on corruption.

Obama was also due to lay out his plans to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, after briefing Russia, France and Britain on Monday, with calls also scheduled with the German and Chinese leaders.

Some of Obama's Democratic allies in Congress are resisting more troops, citing a lack of clarity in war aims and the huge cost of deployments at a time of deep economic crisis.

His critics seemed likely to back a surge, but called on Obama to show commitment to victory, however long it took.

"I want to be sure that the president commits to winning in Afghanistan, and that the emphasis is on that rather than on exiting Afghanistan," said Representative Buck McKeon, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

Obama's speech, which will also freshen US strategy of Pakistan, will be closely watched by foreign governments weighing US intent and Obama is also expected to ask NATO partners for more troops.

In a first sign of increased allied help, NATO ally Britain said Monday it would this month send 500 more soldiers to boost its Afghan contingent to 9,500 men and women.

Troop numbers in Afghanistan NATO allies France and Germany are also thought to be under pressure to add more troops.

Obama's policy review came to the boil after Afghan commander General Stanley McChrystal reported on the war to the Pentagon in August.

The Washington Post then revealed that the general had warned the war "will likely result in failure" without more troops to crush the insurgency.

Obama's task was further complicated by the corruption-tainted Afghan election, which fanned deep doubts about President Hamid Karzai.

Some administration officials, notably Vice President Joseph Biden, supported a more limited effort to pursue Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

While he will reveal his hand to the American people on Tuesday, Obama signed orders implementing the strategy on Sunday.

He then spoke directly by secure video-link to McChrystal and US ambassador to Kabul Karl Eikenberry.

Anticipating the troop increase, several anti-war groups said that protests are scheduled Tuesday at the main entrance to the West Point academy, and Wednesday at federal buildings in several US cities.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/091201/usa/afghanistan_unrest_us_military

Matty:
so the 'exit' will supposedly begin after he secures a 2nd term ::)

virtuoso:

He is a man of peace, war is peace, everything is fine, ignorance is good, carry on nothing to see here and you detractors should be ashamed of yourselves!

Matty:
the dollar will roll over way before the next presidential elections anyway :laugh:

depends how far other currencies get devalued in the meanwhile.

LooN3y:
 this came as no surprise, we're losing the afghan war just like we're losing the vietnam war, except theres no communist superpowers having its back.


how embarrasing if the campaign is  faliure, much like how the russians were humilated except on a less tense scale.

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