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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Just hours after Winning Peace Prize, Obama hears General's Troop Request for Afghanistan

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the commander of American and allied forces in Afghanistan, presented his request for more troops directly to President Obama on Friday as the White House moved closer to settling on a new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
General McChrystal discussed his proposal via a video feed from Kabul beamed into the Situation Room in the White House, where Mr. Obama gathered with his national security team.
The general’s presentation offered the option of different troop levels with an analysis of the risks attached to each option, according to a senior military official.
White House officials said Mr. Obama had made no decision at the three-hour meeting, his fourth so far during this review, and they announced that he would hold a fifth session with his top advisers next Wednesday to continue the discussion. Administration officials said he may be presented with proposals beyond those outlined by General McChrystal.
The general’s request included three main options, according to people briefed on its contents. Most officials have focused on his request for 40,000 troops to avoid failure in Afghanistan, but some of them confirmed Friday an ABC News report that his maximum request outlined a troop buildup that was substantially larger than that.
The Wall Street Journal reported that one of his options called for more than 60,000 additional troops, but several officials said the maximum variant was even larger. (continues here at NYT)

1 comment:

cheap said...

Peace prize is a honor of the president ....troops who cares...