Cordesman: Another 45,000 US Troops For Afghanistan

By Steve Hynd

Anthony Cordesman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies  and one of General McChrystal's hand-picked advisors, told the London Times that the US should send another 45,000 troops to Afghanistan right away.

If Mr Cordesman’s recommendation reflects the view of General McChrystal, who recently presented the findings of a 60-day review of Afghanistan strategy to Washington, it would mean sending another nine combat brigades ... This would bring the total American military presence in Afghanistan to about 100,000, considerably closer to the force that was deployed for the counter-insurgency campaign in Iraq.

Cordesman also says that current plans to increase the size of the Afghan National Army to 134,000 soldiers is inadequate. He wants almost double that number, 240,000, even though the currently planned increase would cost $2 billion a year, almost five times the Afghan government's entire annual revenue. And that increase would need even more US troops as trainers.

Can everyone say "mission creep?'