Pentagon Considering Sending 3000 More Marines To Afghanistan
India Co. Marines from the 3/3 Marine Regiment in Afghanistan in 2005.
After balking at NATO requests for reinforcements, the Pentagon is considering sending at least 3,000 Marines to southern Afghanistan to help counter an expected Taliban offensive in the spring.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates will get the plan Friday but won’t make a final decision right away, a spokesman said today. The proposal recommends sending a Marine battalion, along with ground and air contingents, on a “one-time, seven-month deployment” starting in April, the AP says.
Today there are about 27,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan: 14,000 with the NATO-led coalition and 13,000 training Afghan forces and hunting al-Qaeda fighters. NATO commanders have asked for 7,500 additional troops.
(AP)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Well, can’t blame them, the USMC is the finest, most ass-kicking fighting force the world has ever seen. Why can’t we just dump diesel or fuel oil down into the cave networks, and torch ‘em, like we did to the Japs in WWII? That got the job done.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:17 pmWhat you don’t hear is that the Pentagon and the Marine Corps were- at least initially- reluctant because NATO was supposed to have sent in some 3000 training teams and haven’t kept their end of the bargain. The Corps doesn’t want to send 3000 troops only to have NATO not keep up their end of the bargain because the Marines are there now. (That’s straight from 4th MarDiv’s CG btw
January 9th, 2008 at 6:25 pmThe place to ignite fuel is Waziristan not Afghanistan. How about a bunker-busting nuke on various and sundry Taliban sites in Waziristan?
January 9th, 2008 at 6:26 pmThis is not the larger role that was previously planned in the fall of running the show…Though being part of the ISAF they’ll look to play a dominant part if they operate as a MAGTF. They’ll Put some serious spankage on the Talibon.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm