Updated November 10, 2009
White House Leans Toward Sending More Than 30,000 Troops to Afghanistan
FOXNews.com
Officials said President Obama will not announce his decision until after he returns from his upcoming trip to Asia and stressed that no final decision has been made, even in private. But the plan under consideration would represent a middle ground between different requests made from the top commander in Afghanistan.
The White House and military officials are leaning toward sending more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
Officials said President Obama will not announce his decision until after he returns Nov. 20 from his upcoming trip to Asia and stressed that no final decision has been made, even in private.
But the plan under serious consideration would split the difference between troop requests made by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. McChrystal had put forward a "high risk" request for only 10,000-15,000 troops, and a "medium risk" request of 40,000-45,000.
Obama is expected to formally receive four options for troop levels on Tuesday, two senior administration officials told Fox News. All of them call for an increase and are expected to be the focus of a strategy meeting Wednesday.
The plan under serious consideration would call for sending the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky.; the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y.,; and a Marine brigade for a total of 23,000 troops. An additional 7,000 troops would staff a new division in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Obama has deliberated over McChrystal's request for more troops for months. He's weighed calls to dramatically escalate the U.S. presence in the region as part of a full-scale counterinsurgency effort against calls to more carefully hone the U.S. mission around taking out top Al Qaeda targets -- a mission that would not require as many troops.
But a string of military officials have spoken out in recent weeks in favor of some kind of troop increase. Most recently, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said Sunday that more troops are probably needed in Afghanistan, in part to hold back the Taliban while Afghan forces are being trained.
Fox News' Steve Centanni and Major Garrett contributed to this report.
Latest Politics Videos
-
-
Dr. Congress
-
Nov 22, 2009
Bill would mandate H1N1 sick days
-
-
-
Chris Chocola on 'FNS'
-
Nov 22, 2009
One of the generals in GOP's civil war
-
-
-
Panel Plus: 11/22
-
Nov 22, 2009
'FNS' panel on health care, rationing
-
-
-
On This Day: 11/22
-
Nov 22, 2009
The assassination of JFK
-
-
-
Eventful Trip?
-
Nov 21, 2009
Did Obama make any news in Asia?
-
-
-
Bogus Numbers
-
Nov 21, 2009
Media cracks down on 'saved jobs' numbers
-
Real Clear Politics Poll
| Job Approval | Approve | Disapprove | Spread |
| Obama | 50.6% | 43.4% | +7.2% |
| Congress | 27.0% | 64.3% | -37.3% |
| Direction of Country | Right Direction | Wrong Track | Spread |
| RCP Average | 38.0% | 57.2% | -19.2% |
Most Active In Politics
Most Read
Most Commented
-
House Passes Health Care Bill
November 08, 2009 1,132 comments
-
Health Care Bill Moves Toward Senate Debate
November 22, 2009 974 comments
-
AP Turns Heads for Devoting 11 Reporters to Palin Book 'Fact Check'
November 18, 2009 855 comments
-
Comment Box: Send Us Your Findings on Health Care Reform
November 19, 2009 829 comments
-
Obama: 'Dont' Jump to Conclusions' on Fort Hood Shooting
November 06, 2009 615 comments
-
Health Haggling Heats Up
November 22, 2009
-
Mayor Newsom Committed to Politics
November 22, 2009
-
Strains in Party Threatens Democrats
November 22, 2009
-
U.S. Enlists Allies in New Surge
November 22, 2009
-
Obama Seeks to Boost U.S. Exports
November 22, 2009
-
Alas, it’s the end of the road for petrolheads
November 22, 2009
-
A gross insult to the people of Europe
November 22, 2009
-
Rule the waves? Not any more we don’t
November 22, 2009
-
They’re still wriggling to avoid the flak on Iraq
November 22, 2009
-
Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too
November 22, 2009



recommend


Subscribe to Comments






