Obama Plans To Send 34,000 Troops To Afghanistan

Clifton B., a conservative blogger in New Jersey, responds to news reports about additional troops: "General Stanley McChrystal gave Obama three options, a low-risk option of 80,000 troops, a medium-risk option of 40,000 troops and a high-risk option of 20,000 troops. Obama decision seems to fall short of the medium risk option and it will be interesting to hear his decision why."

He continues his commentary about the U.S. president's alleged plan: "But what is rather disturbing is that the plan contains 'off-ramps'. These are dates for Obama to decide whether to continue the flow of troops or to retreat....I just don’t understand the need to announce to your enemies when and why you will throw in the towel. It should seem quite obvious that if the Taliban wants us out of Afghanistan all they have to do is intensify the fighting over the next six months. Furthermore, the whole idea behind McChrystal’s surge is to gain confidence from the Afghan people so that they will begin helping US forces. Why should they help out if our commitment is so tentative? It would be far safer for them to wait the six months to make sure we stay. Something tells me come June 1, we will be packing it in under the banner of defeat and the White House claiming it was Bush’s fault."