The USA has just announced it is going to send an extra 3000 troops to Afghanistan,why?

I thought it was going to be 20,000. At least that’s what I had heard this morning.

And if my short-term memory serves me well, the reporter made some claims as this increase in force was going to be targeted against the recent surge in Taliban activities within the southern sections of Afghanistan.

Because we lost the war we “won”, and the US has literally no control in there anymore.

@scaver,wow if that is correct then it’s out of hand.Shame on the MACHINE!

correction: Voice of America reports it may be as many as 30,000 to be sent sometime during the spring of 2009

troops to double in Afghanistan

What will they do? Make em run for the hills?

30,freakin 000

Yeah, I could not believe it when I heard it earlier today. Now that I’m reading 30,000… I really don’t know what to say or even how to feel, other than to shake my head and wonder “why?”

Wow.

Seeking power. That’s all I’m going to say.

This has got to STOP!!!! Some Christmas these guys are going to have with this hanging over them and their families.

I’ve had this “hanging over my head” for the last 15 years, and will for the next 5. It’s what we do. As far as why, cause we’re at war there, have been since ‘02, but Iraq got all the publicity. You didn’t think all those troops would come home while we still have a war to fight, did you?

Fighting the invisible enemy must be soul destroying.
Appreciation to you and yours for what you do to keep us safe.
Have as good a Christmas as you can.

It’s always been about Afghanistan, and not Iraq. Iraq has been a difficult situation since the 1980s. Look at what’s out there on the Korengal Valley Outpost, or KOP. Several months ago, the New York Times ran an article on our soldiers there. A new kind of wilderness.

Because that’s what Obama wants and he represents the American people. He won the election but not with my vote.

Because, this is where Al Quaeda, Osama Bin Laden and the people who actually attacked up on 9/11/01 are holed up. Al Quaeda in Afghanistan is ow, was in 2001 and was even well before 2001 when we realized it, the single biggest threat to American security in the history of the United States.

However, in SEVEN YEARS, we have spent less money fighting the war in Afghanistan than we spend EVERY THREE WEEKS IN IRAQ. If we do actually want to keep our nation safe against terrorist threats, there is no better place to send troops. As much as I’m a person who doesn’t believe in dumb wars, I think if someone comes to our soil and kills 3,000 of our people, then we should take those fuckers out by ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

Had Bush and the Neocons not been so busy trying to create a US friendly Democracy in the middle east by engaging in multiple, simultaneous pre-emptive theater wars, starting with Iraq in an effort to a) avenge Saddam’s assassination attempt on Bush’s daddy and b) control their oil supply, we would not have destroyed an entire civilization in Iraq, allowed Al Qaeda to set up base where they didn’t used to exist, and distract us from doing what we SHOULD have been doing all along.

I say better late than never. And I am VERY much anti-war, but it’s gotta be done, which is why we need to get troops out of Iraq so they can be redeployed to actually neutralize a real threat.

My professional military connections of the three star variety told me the day after we invaded Iraq, that it was done against the advice of the Pentagon. It was believed to be “low hanging fruit.” As dale said, it’s always been Afghanistan, since the 1980’s. But you can’t win in Afghanistan; just ask the Russians. There was a time when we could have sent money to build schools and hospitals, but didn’t. It would have made a big difference.

SUNSHINE BOMBS?

:-)

Afghanistan is still in a really messy state right now but we actually have a chance to clean it up some and make it better more so than Iraq. Also Afghanistan shares a large border with Iran that is not blocked by mountains like the border with Iraq is; do the math.

First off, you can win in afghanistan, alexander did so can we. Second, we were winning in afghanistan until we were streched so thin we couldnt do anything. Third, we Dont have to “win” conventionally to win in afghanistan, we just have to stabalize the goverment and secure the population, this in turn curves the abilities of the taliban to recruit. and fourth afghanistan is just as important to our goals not only in the middle east but also Eurasia, if afghanistan goes, uzbekistan, pakistan, and the other stans are in danger too. If bush didn’t put afghanistan on the back burner for the 7 years we would probably be wrapping up there by now.

@Kay, Finally, someone with common sense in the fray! Read the answers to the question a few days ago “one thing good Bush has done”. No one seems to understand that what the news media tells us is largely disinformation. It is no coincidence that Iraq and Afghanistan bookend Iran (nuclear Iran). Now we have a secure oil supply (Iraq) and easy access (bookends). Bravo Kay!

@steve6: Thanks! I do policy analysis and security studies, so most of my info is coming from sources like Jane’s Defense, etc. The news is crap.