Though only yesterday President Barack Obama insisted that the decision on more troops for Afghanistan “could wait” and declined to even indicate when he might make such a decision, his top commander in Afghanistan is suggesting a decision needs to be made, and soon.
General Stanley McChrystal’s heavy redacted assessment of the war, which was submitted to Secretary Gates weeks ago, cautions that if he doesn’t get significant amounts of additional troops within the next 12 months the war will “likely result in failure.”
And while it had been reported before that Gen. McChrystal had requested 40,000 troops, the general is now seeking as many as 45,000 more troops, on top of the 68,000 already there and the 3,000 troops already approved earlier this month.
The British government is also poised to throw another 1,000 troops at the ongoing war, and the overall war effort if Gen. McChrystal gets everything he wants will exceed 135,000, exceeding the size of the occupation force the Soviets sent to Afghanistan for the first time since the 2001 invasion.
And of course we must not forget our most loyal "allies" in the "war of terror", our heroic "private military contractors" and "civilian security specialists", of whom there are now tens of thousands in Afghanistan. Presumably counting them puts the number of US and allied forces in Afghanistan substantially above those committed by the Soviets.
General Mc"Crazy" would certainly want more. What general doesn't. And how ironic that what he wants would exceed the old Soviets failed bid to control that piece of dirt.
Gen. Stan would be the reincarnation of Gen. Westmoreland? Stan's whining seems hauntingly familiar.
Dear General McNutcase, I'm ashamed of you. Surely you can think bigger thoughts than that. Only 45,000 more? Why not 145,000? Why not 1,145,000?! Don't let the fact that the American economy is imploding stop you. God knows, we've got plenty of unemployed to fill the ranks. Just look at all the jobs we will create. We can afford it. Just turn-up the printing presses at the FED. Try to think really big General. That is what we pay you the big bucks for isn't it? Why stop with the Middle East? Son, you've got to learn how to start thinking outside the box. The sky is the limit! We should invade the whole damned world so we can make it perfectly safe for peace-loving folks like us! God bless America, land that I love, stand beside her, and guide her, with a light shining bright from above! We're behind you all the way big guy. Go for it! We doggies, this war stuff sure is fun!
It would seem that the Air Force has a monopoly on the full-spectrum dominance thing.