Some Fear “Americanization” of Afghan War -- A Commentary

From DoD Buzz:

As Iraq was George Bush’s war, Afghanistan is about to become Barack Obama’s war. A troop “surge” in Afghanistan begins next month with the arrival of an Army combat brigade, to be followed by three more combat brigades, an aviation brigade and supporting elements, in an effort to stop the spread of the Taliban insurgency.

The security trends in the seven year old Afghan war are going in the wrong direction. Coalition military deaths were the highest ever this year as IED and other insurgent attacks reached record levels. But the debate on American strategy in Afghanistan goes little beyond the Pentagon’s plan to add more troops. U.S. troop numbers will climb from the current level of 34,000 to around 58,000. The incoming Obama team has yet to say what they intend to do in Afghanistan to carry out Obama’s campaign promise to “win” there.

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