skunk
09-22-2009, 01:24 PM
Army draws up plan to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6843477.ece)
Britain is making plans to send up to 1,000 extra troops to Afghanistan to meet the call for reinforcements made by the US commander in Kabul.
The troops would be Britain’s contribution to a military surge called for by General Stanley McChrystal, who commands Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) (http://www.nato.int/ISAF/) in Afghanistan, some details of which were leaked to an American newspaper yesterday.
Here is the ISAF's own report (PDF file) (http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2009_03/20090331_090331_afghanistan_report_2009.pdf) on Afghanistan.
A similar surge in troop numbers was credited with turning the tide in the war against insurgents in Iraq.
Note how well the surge has worked in Iraq.
An extra 1,000 troops, the equivalent of a battlegroup, would increase Britain’s military presence to about 10,000. Britain’s force is already the second biggest after the US, which has 62,000 troops in Afghanistan and will increase this to 68,000 by the autumn.
What do brits think about this move?
In a choreographed plan by the Pentagon and the MoD, Nato would be requested for up to 30,000 extra troops to support the new strategy recommended by General McChrystal. Most of the reinforcements would come from the US.
What the article's title doesn't mention is the additional 20,000+ US troops.
What do amerikans think about this move?
Although Downing Street insisted yesterday that no formal proposals have yet been made, senior government figures acknowledge that a detailed request for more troops is being drawn up and will be presented to Gordon Brown and the Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth, once the McChrystal report has been published officially.
In his report General McChrystal calls for a surge in troops to accelerate the training of the Afghan National Army. He warns that without more troops and a new strategy Nato will fail to defeat the Taleban. He gives Nato 12 months in which to regain the initiative.
Gen. McChrystal, how much do you make off the poppy trade?
Britain is making plans to send up to 1,000 extra troops to Afghanistan to meet the call for reinforcements made by the US commander in Kabul.
The troops would be Britain’s contribution to a military surge called for by General Stanley McChrystal, who commands Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) (http://www.nato.int/ISAF/) in Afghanistan, some details of which were leaked to an American newspaper yesterday.
Here is the ISAF's own report (PDF file) (http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2009_03/20090331_090331_afghanistan_report_2009.pdf) on Afghanistan.
A similar surge in troop numbers was credited with turning the tide in the war against insurgents in Iraq.
Note how well the surge has worked in Iraq.
An extra 1,000 troops, the equivalent of a battlegroup, would increase Britain’s military presence to about 10,000. Britain’s force is already the second biggest after the US, which has 62,000 troops in Afghanistan and will increase this to 68,000 by the autumn.
What do brits think about this move?
In a choreographed plan by the Pentagon and the MoD, Nato would be requested for up to 30,000 extra troops to support the new strategy recommended by General McChrystal. Most of the reinforcements would come from the US.
What the article's title doesn't mention is the additional 20,000+ US troops.
What do amerikans think about this move?
Although Downing Street insisted yesterday that no formal proposals have yet been made, senior government figures acknowledge that a detailed request for more troops is being drawn up and will be presented to Gordon Brown and the Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth, once the McChrystal report has been published officially.
In his report General McChrystal calls for a surge in troops to accelerate the training of the Afghan National Army. He warns that without more troops and a new strategy Nato will fail to defeat the Taleban. He gives Nato 12 months in which to regain the initiative.
Gen. McChrystal, how much do you make off the poppy trade?