Gates says more troops going to Afghanistan, Iraq combat involvement 16+ more months

[The Straight Story]

Gates says more troops going to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday that the Pentagon could send two more brigades to Afghanistan by late spring and a third brigade later in 2009 in an effort to try to salvage a country besieged by corruption and increasing violence.

More troops could be sent once the Defense Department is able to put a larger infrastructure in place to support them, he added in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Gates' prediction comes as President Barack Obama considers his options for a drawdown of troops in Iraq. The Pentagon is preparing various scenarios for winding down the war, including a plan that would cease U.S. involvement in combat within 16 months. Gates said military planners are looking at later dates as well and are prepared to brief Obama on all his options and their associated risks.

Obama planned to meet on Wednesday with the service chiefs, who are helping to prepare various scenarios for winding down the war.

"I believe the president will have had every opportunity to hear quite directly from his commanders about what they can accomplish and what the attendant risks are under different options," Gates said.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41882&sid=60

[MadHound]

1. The only thing changing so far is the body count

I kind of had the sneaking suspicion that the sixteen month promise was so much BS, and now we're going to be inserting even more troops into a conflict where we're bringing the military to a war of ideas.

Bring the troops home now!

[Winterblues]

2. Gates is only supposed to be there for the interim.

I hope that interim period is only a few months. He seems to think he has more authority than Obama has..

[bluestateguy]

3. Consistent with Obama's campaign promise

This is what he said he would do. He won, and now he's doing it, so one can't really complain about it.

[Winterblues]

4. When did Obama say he planned on keeping Combat in Iraq longer than 16 months?

:shrug:

[dflprincess]

5. I don't recall -

but he did promise to continue the policy of endless, senseless war. I suppose, in a way, it really doesn't matter where it continues..

[unc70]

6. 2007 debate in NH -- Meaning of "combat" -- counterterrorism, special-ops

Check out my journal and posts from the beginning of October, 2007 following the debate in NH. Obama and Clinton used nearly identical language about "beginning" to withdraw combat troops when elected. Further, Obama carefully exempted special ops and counterterroism activities from being "combat". I remember posting somewhere at the time that Obama's definition would likely encompass everything that Bush had been doing.

There is a long thread linked with the discussion associated with that journal entry. It includes various attempts by Obama and Clinton supporters to misquote the debate transcripts.