[Peace-discuss] "Timetables" won't stop this

[C. G. Estabrook]

[Cut off the money. Oppose the war, don't support it covertly. --CGE]

	Gen. McChrystal Seeks 20,000 More Troops for Afghanistan
	Plan Will Test War-Weary Public, Over-Stretched Military
	by Jason Ditz, August 28, 2009

According to a report in the Saturday edition of the Independent, top US 
commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal will request another 20,000 
troops for the war effort in Afghanistan, on top of the escalation already 
provided by President Obama, when he issues his new “plan” for the nation.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal

Shortly after taking office President Obama approved the addition of another 
17,000 to the war effort as part of an attempt to turn around the sagging war 
effort. He added another further 4,000 troops in March as part of his new 
“comprehensive strategy” at the time.

Needless to say, the strategy did not work, and the situation in Afghanistan has 
continued to worsen. Gen. McKiernan was ousted in May, and Gen. McChrystal was 
put in place to attempt yet another new strategy. The release of that strategy 
has been delayed, but has long been assumed to be another escalation, which the 
administration seems only too eager to oblige.

At the same time, three high profile polls show that the American public, long 
supportive of the military effort in Afghanistan, has had enough and is now 
firmly opposed to the conflict’s continuation. Though the war seems far from 
foremost in the minds of many voters right now, a further escalation could have 
political consequences down the road.

Likewise, the ability of the military to provide yet another 20,000 troops even 
as it continues to keep over 130,000 troops on the ground in Iraq is very much 
in doubt. Though the US may be able to coax a few thousand more troops out of 
the virtually lame duck Brown Administration in Britain, the vast majority would 
have to come from the US, and would put the joint commitment on the ground in 
the two major wars at over 200,000 troops at any given time.

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/08/28/gen-mcchrystal-seeks-20000-more-troops-for-afghanistan/