General David McKiernan, Commander for NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan is pictured in 2008. Even with an additional 17,000 troops in Afghanistan, McKiernan, the top US commander there, predicted "a tough year" in 2009 and warned that the situation would not be quickly turned around. (AFP/File/Saul Loeb)From Yahoo News/AFP:
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Even with an additional 17,000 troops in Afghanistan, the top US commander there predicted "a tough year" in 2009 and warned that the situation would not be quickly turned around.
General David McKiernan, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, spoke a day after President Barack Obama approved the deployment in the coming months of two additional combat brigades and support forces, about 17,000 troops in all.
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My Comment: The General has the gift of understatement. It is not going to be a "tough year" .... it is going to be a terrible year.
