Obama Sending 30,000 More Troops To Afghanistan

President Barack Obama
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President Obama will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, an administration official tells TPMDC.

The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity because Obama has not announced the new strategy yet to the nation, said the president “intervened” to make sure the military deploys these troops to the region faster than initially planned.

This will bring the total troops in Afghanistan to more than 100,000 – a jump of more than 60,000 since Obama took office in January.

They will be there within six months, the official said.

The New York Times describes it as a “more, sooner” policy. The president reached the conclusion after nine meetings of his war council.

In his speech tonight at West Point, Obama will talk about a timeframe for withdrawal. The official said after the nine meetings, “consensus” has emerged among the key players, which “will make it easier to implement.”

Before leaving for West Point late this afternoon, Obama will meet with Congressional leaders to discuss the decision.

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