A bloody weekend in Afghanistan. 8 more American soldiers gave up their lives in a battle where they were sorely outnumbered and over run.
General McChrystal has been asking the President for more troops warning that all will be lost unless action is taken. (Source)
"In his blunt assessment of the tenacious Taliban insurgency, McChrystal warned that unless the U.S. and its allies gain the initiative and reverse the momentum of the militants within the next year the U.S. "risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible."
The Pentagon and the White House are awaiting a separate, more detailed request for additional troops and resources. Media reports Friday and Saturday said McChrystal has finished it but was told to pocket it, partly because of the charged politics surrounding the decision. McChrystal's senior spokesman, Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, told The Associated Press on Sunday the report is not complete.
On Monday, another Pentagon spokesman said he cannot predict when the request will arrive, and said McChrystal's depiction of the war is one tool the administration will use to choose its path. (Source)
"Even before he became president, Barack Obama made the war in Afghanistan his own priority.
In May, Obama really took ownership of the war when the U.S. commander there, Gen. David McKiernan, was asked to resign on the grounds that new leadership was needed to launch Obama's new strategy for the war." (Source)
Obama selected General McChrystal as his personal pick to apply his strategy and run the war. In his initial outline to Obama McChrystal laid out his plan for winning the war and his anticipated need of 40,000 additional troops or more.
As a footnote - not all of the 21,000 troops Obama ordered in January have actually arrived in Afghanistan.
Now it appears Obama is second guessing his own General and stalling a decision.
Mr. President - You are the Commander in Chief!
Either support the military with the resources they need or
Get Them Out!
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