Gates Delays Troop Decision

Obama was beating up Bush about the need for more troops in Afghanistan. He got on his high horse about how he as President was now going to add another 30K so he could win the war that
George Bush couldn't. Now it looks like he is not only going to delay sending the additional trooops, but that he may actually start to draw down the troop levels and leave in defeat.
Rees

February 05, 2009 6:30 PM
Lindsey Ellerson

ABC News' Luis Martinez reports: ABC News has learned that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to delay a decision to send additional troops into Afghanistan until after the Obama administration concludes its ongoing review of the strategy for Afghanistan.

The surprising decision comes after the much anticipated proposal to send three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan -- or 17,000 troops as reported by ABC News last week -- was presented to Secretary Gates for his approval this afternoon. The Pentagon troop proposal anticipated a large Marine brigade to be followed by two Army Brigade Combat Teams, including a Stryker Brigade. The top US general in Afghanistan , Gen. David McKiernan favors using the armored vehicles as a way of extending his troops' presence to remote regions of Afghanistan.
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