A disturbing news story:
President Barack Obama is considering sending large numbers of additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan next year but fewer than his war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, prefers, U.S. officials said.
Such a narrowed military mission would escalate American forces to accomplish the commander’s broadest goals, protecting Afghan cities and key infrastructure. But the option’s scaled-down troop numbers likely would cut back on McChrystal’s ambitious objectives, amounting to what one official described as “McChrystal Light.”
Under the pared-down option, McChrystal would be given fewer forces than the 40,000 additional troops he has asked for atop the current U.S. force of 68,000, officials told The Associated Press.
Senior White House officials stressed, however, that the president has not settled on any new troop numbers and continues to debate other strategic approaches to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war.
I’d like to say “keep debating”, Barry, and you might eventually get it right…but anyone who studies history knows that councils of war work out to be gatherings of cowards. Everyone gets their two cents in and the decision maker is left with what is best described as the sum of all fears. No decision has been made (which, in and of itself, is a terrible dereliction), but this was my worry all along – not enough troops to win, but enough to keep the bloodshed going at a faster pace.
Please, please, please let this story not pan out…
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