Nothing in the Washington Post's report on the troop level options being considered by the president and the Pentagon suggests pulling out of Afghanistan is being considered. Given the Post's late, hot banner headline -- "Abdullah Widely Expected to Boycott Afghan Run-Off Election" -- it seems clear that the integrity of the existing regime in Kabul will not be a factor.
The military chiefs have been largely supportive of a resource request by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, that would by one Pentagon estimate require the deployment of 44,000 additional troops. But opinion among members of Obama's national security team is divided, and he now appears to be seeking a compromise solution that would satisfy both his military and civilian advisers.
Several strategic alternatives are being reviewed.
Before he can determine troop levels, his advisers have said, he must decide whether to embrace a strategy focused heavily on counterinsurgency, which would require additional forces to protect population centers, or one that makes counterterrorism the main focus of U.S. efforts in the country, which would rely on relatively fewer American troops.
One option under review involves a blend of the two approaches, featuring an emphasis on counterterrorism in the north and some parts of western Afghanistan as well as an expanded counterinsurgency effort in the south and east, one of the officials said. Obama has also asked for a province-by-province review of the country to determine which areas can by managed effectively by local leaders.
The president appears committed to adding at least 10,000 to 15,000 troops in Afghanistan in an effort to bolster the training of Afghan army and police officers in the country. Current plans call for the United States to double the size of the Afghan army and police forces to about 400,000 in the hope that they can take over security responsibilities.
The Post concludes that "in contrast to Iraq, where there was significant dissension on whether to deploy an additional 30,000 troops in 2007, the top brass has been mostly united in the support of McChrystal's call for more troops in Afghanistan."
The civilian leadership should, of course, take the military's opinion seriously but not -- not ever! -- allow it to dominate the decision-making process. For Obama, though -- like it or not -- compromise is in, withdrawal is out.
American Power tracked-back with, 'Obama Salutes the Troops'.
Posted by: Americaneocon | October 31, 2009 at 09:51 AM