McChrystal to request more Afghan troops

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By Eli Lake and Sara A. Carter THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, will make a long-anticipated request for additional troops by Friday after a controversy erupted over whether President Obama is still committed to a counterinsurgency strategy there.

(Corrected paragraph:) Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Wednesday that the general would be submitting his request by Friday. That request could be, according to defense officials, for as many as 40,000 troops.

"There's a lot that's changed and a lot that needs to be analyzed," he said. "I think it's only appropriate for the commander in chief and his national security team to discuss these developments and adjust, if necessary, accordingly."

A U.S. defense official told The Washington Times on Wednesday that Gen. McChrystal would turn in to the Pentagon by Friday a formal request for between 10,000 and 40,000 more troops covering three options for fighting in Afghanistan and that he expects to testify soon before Congress.

"The general is going to turn in his request by Friday," the official told The Times. "He is going to ask for more troops and is prepared to explain to Congress the reasons behind his assessment."

The official spoke on the condition that he not be named because he was discussing internal deliberations.

In recent days, Mr. Obama has begun to voice doubts about the counterinsurgency strategy he approved in March.

On Sunday, Mr. Obama told CNN's "State of the Union" that he was asking himself and his advisers: "Are we pursuing the right strategy?"

On NBC's "Meet the Press," he said he would not send more troops to Afghanistan "until I'm satisfied that we've got the right strategy."

A counterinsurgency strategy calls for protecting and assisting the local population in hopes that they will provide information about terrorist hide-outs and planning.