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[[File:Mcchrystal.jpg|thumb|250px|General McChrystal]]

[[File:Mcchrystal.jpg|thumb|250px|General McChrystal]]

In Aug. 2009, General [[Stanley A. McChrystal]], the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said the Afghan government was riddled with corruption and NATO was being undermined by tactics that alienate civilians. He called the Taliban insurgency "a muscular and sophisticated enemy" that uses modern propaganda and systematically reaches into Afghanistan's prisons to recruit members and even plan operations. McChrystal alerted Washington that he urgently needs more forces within the next year; without them, he warned, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure."<ref>Bob Woodward, "McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure'' [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/20/AR200909200920.html ''Washington Post'' Sept 21, 2009]</ref>   

In Aug. 2009, General [[Stanley A. McChrystal]], the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said the Afghan government was riddled with corruption and NATO was being undermined by tactics that alienate civilians. He called the Taliban insurgency "a muscular and sophisticated enemy" that uses modern propaganda and systematically reaches into Afghanistan's prisons to recruit members and even plan operations. McChrystal alerted Washington that he urgently needs more forces within the next year; without them, he warned, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure."<ref>Bob Woodward, "McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure'' [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/20/AR200909200920.html ''Washington Post'' Sept 21, 2009]</ref>   

American policy was increasing set by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, originally appointed by President  Bush in 2006 and reappointed by  President Obama in 2009. Gates fired the commander General David McKiernan in May, 2009, replacing him with McChrystal. [[File:Afg-2009.jpg|thumb|350px|Obama plan to add 30,000 troops in early 2010]] Gates insisted on dropping the old strategy of hunting down insurgents and instead adopting a '''counterinsurgency''' strategy that focused on protecting local civilians and training Afghan soldiers and police to take over the job. Gates convinced Obama, who ordered 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in Dec. 2009, with a deadline of 18 months, at which time a transition to Afghan responsibility would begin.  Liberals though Obama and Gates were making a big mistake—heading into another quagmire like Vietnam. However liberal Democrats in Congress will not try to block Obama's proposals.  Most conservatives, on the other hand, see victory in Afghanistan as a vital national goal and approve the new strategy, while voicing objections to the 18 month deadline.

American policy was increasing set by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, originally appointed by President  Bush in 2006 and reappointed by  President Obama in 2009. Gates fired the commander General David McKiernan in May, 2009, replacing him with McChrystal. [[File:Afg-2009.jpg|thumb|350px|Obama plan to add 30,000 troops in early 2010]] Gates insisted on dropping the old strategy of hunting down insurgents and instead adopting a '''counterinsurgency''' strategy that focused on protecting local civilians and training Afghan soldiers and police to take over the job. Gates convinced Obama, who ordered 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in Dec. 2009, with a deadline of 18 months, at which time a transition to Afghan responsibility would begin.  Liberals though Obama and Gates were making a big mistake—heading into another quagmire like Vietnam. However liberal Democrats in Congress will not try to block Obama's proposals.  Most conservatives, on the other hand, see victory in Afghanistan as a vital national goal and approve the new strategy, while voicing objections to the 18-month deadline.

[[File:Af-UStroops.jpg|thumb|340px]]

[[File:Af-UStroops.jpg|thumb|340px]]