Troop Levels
LaserWolf
Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
I did some quick research on troop levels for some friends. We were discussing it last night and wanted to get the numbers straight.
Here is a chart with Afghanistan troop levels.
http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/22/chart-u-s-troop-levels-over-the-years/
Obama began raising the troop levels from almost the moment he got in office, even before the surge.
Which is what he said he would do during the campaign.
Currently there are about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan (according to Time) and the target draw down number in 2014 is 5,000.
Last night Obama said 10,000 troops will come out next month, 33,000 by the end of the year. Leaving 62,000 to come out in the next 3 years. When Obama took office the number was 22,000+/-.
Iraq:
"Under current plans, all 47,000 American military personnel now in Iraq are scheduled to be out by Dec. 31, except for some 157 who will remain to manage the multibillion-dollars worth of military equipment purchased by Iraq through the Pentagon???s military sales program."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/general-time-running-out-for-iraq-to-ask-us-forces-to-stay/2011/06/23/AGxx1ChH_blog.html
Today there are 47,000 and by the end of the year there will be 157. So 7,800 have to leave every month or 1,800 a week. Don't hold your breath.
We are still at war in Korea. On 17 December 1994, Army Chief Warrant Officers David Hilemon was killed 4 miles north of the DMZ. We have 28,500 troops stationed in Korea.
I think Obama's speech last night, and the draw down is, in part what he wants to do and what he thinks is right, and a larger part political.
The Rs are calling for an end to the Afghan war and voters (Rs, Ds and Is) next year will want an end as well.
He is doing that "responsibly".
I think what he does want is to aggressively go after al Qaeda in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia and anywhere else they pop up. Congress gave approval for that back in 2001 I think. So endless war is likely to be our future. I'm pretty upset about that.
Here is a chart with Afghanistan troop levels.
http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/22/chart-u-s-troop-levels-over-the-years/
Obama began raising the troop levels from almost the moment he got in office, even before the surge.
Which is what he said he would do during the campaign.
Currently there are about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan (according to Time) and the target draw down number in 2014 is 5,000.
Last night Obama said 10,000 troops will come out next month, 33,000 by the end of the year. Leaving 62,000 to come out in the next 3 years. When Obama took office the number was 22,000+/-.
Iraq:
"Under current plans, all 47,000 American military personnel now in Iraq are scheduled to be out by Dec. 31, except for some 157 who will remain to manage the multibillion-dollars worth of military equipment purchased by Iraq through the Pentagon???s military sales program."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/general-time-running-out-for-iraq-to-ask-us-forces-to-stay/2011/06/23/AGxx1ChH_blog.html
Today there are 47,000 and by the end of the year there will be 157. So 7,800 have to leave every month or 1,800 a week. Don't hold your breath.
We are still at war in Korea. On 17 December 1994, Army Chief Warrant Officers David Hilemon was killed 4 miles north of the DMZ. We have 28,500 troops stationed in Korea.
I think Obama's speech last night, and the draw down is, in part what he wants to do and what he thinks is right, and a larger part political.
The Rs are calling for an end to the Afghan war and voters (Rs, Ds and Is) next year will want an end as well.
He is doing that "responsibly".
I think what he does want is to aggressively go after al Qaeda in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia and anywhere else they pop up. Congress gave approval for that back in 2001 I think. So endless war is likely to be our future. I'm pretty upset about that.
Comments
Why does this bother you? The alternative seems to be to just let Al-Qaeda do its thing. Would that upset you less?
It's very hard to put the genie back in the bottle. I do prefer Obama's methods to Bush's, and I think they'll be more effective and much less bloody in the end.
I'd like a world at peace, too, but I'm fairly sure I'll never live to see it. People who thought the election of Obama was going to usher in the Age of Aquarius are just not in touch with reality. Based on his campaign nothing he has done in terms of foreign policy has surprised me in the least.
That's the spirit.
LOL, if your 2000 self met your 2011 self, he would think that your 2011 self must have been subjected to torture and brainwashing, would probably cry for your PTSS.
Your assumptions about my "self" are based on your own bullshit and are of no interest to me whatsoever.
Like I said, your own bullshit.
I can do that, too!