A Slight Surge To The Afghanistan Surge

In a little-noticed move, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced the addition of 1400 Marines to Afghanistan before the spring fighting season.

The Marine battalion could start arriving on the ground as early as mid-January. The forces would mostly be deployed in the south, around Kandahar, where the U.S. has concentrated troops over the past several months.

Commanders in Afghanistan and advocates of the strategy in Washington say temporarily adding front-line forces could help counter an anticipated spring offensive by Taliban militants returning from havens in neighboring Pakistan.

By June, commanders believe they’ll have a sense of how successful these operations are, and there are plans to begin withdrawing troops in July.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.