World Watch
May 24, 2010 1:31 PM

U.S. Troop Level in Afghanistan Surpasses Iraq

By
David (CNET) Martin
Topics
Afghanistan

It's official.

The Pentagon says there are now more U.S. troops in Afghanistan (94,000) than in Iraq (92,000), reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

This day has been coming ever since the Obama administration began the strategic shift from Iraq as the primary theater of war to Afghanistan.

For years, operations in Afghanistan were hamstrung by a shortage of troops and equipment. Officially, Afghanistan was called an "economy of force" operation. In reality that meant it got what was left after all the troop and equipment requires for Iraq had been met.

All that's changed.

By the end of the summer, if all proceeds according to plan, the U.S. will have 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and 50,000 in Iraq.

U.S. Plans Huge Afghan Summer Offensive

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan

60 Minutes: Obama Defends Afghanistan Timetable


Add a Comment See all 11 Comments
by rwsmith29456 May 24, 2010 8:49 PM EDT
These numbers mean absolutely nothing.
Reply to this comment
by nasadawg May 25, 2010 9:21 AM EDT
You voted for him...
by babooph May 24, 2010 6:28 PM EDT
Has the media been directed to stop news of the numbers stress on the military & the massive cost for the weak economy?
Reply to this comment
by vuenbelvue May 24, 2010 6:24 PM EDT
Most troops are Civil Affairs to help spend all that money to build up the comfort level of the Afghans so they will resist the Taliban. "US taxpayers shelled out $6.7 billion for the Afghan war in February, the most recent month for which statistics are available, as opposed to $5.5 billion for the war in Iraq. The total cost for the two wars is now approaching $1 trillion", Raw Story. South Korea better be the force they indicate they are with the 4 star Generals in the press photo. 28,000 US troops may be all we can afford to send.
Reply to this comment
by wyodutch May 24, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
Whoopee. I'm excited.
Reply to this comment
by mjlewis6 May 24, 2010 2:12 PM EDT
I have always been amazed the Republicans who say how smart the Bush Cheney Administration was for its policies and prosecution of the war....can get it so wrong.

Al Qaeda was NEVER in Iraq before the US invaded.

WE never took enough soldiers into Iraq to defend the borders against infiltration or the cities against resistance.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction were never there per Hans Blick, UNSCOM either without intelligence supplied by the US as to their location....or having been provided, was not there when searched for
all PRIOR to the US invasion March 2003

The "50 BILLION Dollars, tops !" Snearing comment from VP Cheney when answering Congressional questions as to the cost of invading Iraq.

Abu Gharib, Guantanamo, renditions, torture, deaths of prisoners...and the eventual release of most of the detainees for lack of legal process or evidence.

No bid contracts for Halliburton, Cheney's old company. The use of private security firms in a war zone...a for profit company operating instead of US Armed Forces...

We do not end a war by extending our forces into a separate theater where the enemy does not exist, no attack was launched, and does not contribute to a battle plan for the defeat of the enemy or his capture.

HOW SMART was it to suddenly drop Afghanistan in 2002 - 2003? We are paying the price of the Bush Administration to this day for mis-directing our armed forces....into Iraq for whatever reason he could dream up. Bush has damaged our world wide prestige far beyond President Obama's ability to mend even in two terms of office.

God Bless America, we will survive our war criminals even if we do not prosecute them as should be done with the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague for violating the Geneva Convensions on treatment of POWs and civilians in our created war zones !!
Reply to this comment
by stormerF3 May 24, 2010 6:16 PM EDT
Your koolaid is dribbling or is that your brain matter? You need to learn to read so you can read the Geneva Convention before you spout your koolaid dribble. Obama was going to end the war,what happened? Obama was going to close Gitmo,What happened? Obama was going to have a transparent administration,What Happened? Obama was not going to sign a pork bill what happened?
by Cuda-Driver May 24, 2010 7:51 PM EDT
StormerF3....It is you without any brain matter. maybe you should read:
Geneva Convention
Part I
Article 1
1.For the purposes of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.

Water-boarding anyone?? Did you not see all the pictures of POWs on the news being abused in Abu Gharib??

Obama is pulling the troops out of Iraq, have all ready left all major cities and there is a time line for Afghanistan. Guantanamo would be closed no if not for the Republicans crying about trying them in the civilian justice system when the Bush administration tried at least 190 terrorism or terrorism-related crimes through the civilian justice system 174 individuals who were convicted all read their Miranda rights. Pork bill which is another word for tarp was created by the Republicans and because of the recession the bailouts were necessary. Anything else teabagger?
See all 5 Replies
See all 11 Comments
.

Follow World Watch

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...