President Hamid Karzai, in hat, arrives for a rally in Gardez, Afghanistan. Karzai, who has survived several assassination attempts during his tenure, has attended only a few rallies during the current election campaign, all with handpicked audiences. Massoud Hossaini / AFP/Getty ImagesMore US Troops For Afghanistan: Are They Inevitable? -- Christian Science Monitor
Supporters say it's time to surge, Iraq-style. Opponents say the US should wait to see if the extra 21,000 troops already on the way have an effect.
Washington - The 21,000 US troops promised to Afghanistan have still not all arrived, yet speculation is rife that rising violence may force the senior commander there to ask for more.
Last month was the deadliest ever for US forces in Afghanistan. In all, 76 coalition troops were killed. Seeking to reverse that trend, the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, is preparing an assessment of the mission. News reports suggest that he could ask for an additional 10,000 to 45,000 troops.
Previous commanders have all asked for more forces. In the past, "the handwriting was on the wall for more forces – and may still be," says Michael O'Hanlon, an analyst at Brookings, a think tank in Washington.
If General McChrystal does ask for thousands more troops, it could cause a rift between the administration and left-leaning Democrats in Congress.
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More News On Afghanistan
Four NATO troops killed in Afghanistan -- CNN
Four foreign, three Afghan troops killed attacks -- Reuters
3 American troops killed in southern Afghanistan -- AP
Three US soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- AFP
Six Taliban killed in Afghan assault: officials -- AFP
12 Taliban fighters killed in Afghan clash -- AP
Taliban Seize Building for Attack on Afghan Government Offices -- New York Times
Potent Bombs Slow Marine Offensive -- Washington Post
Taliban still a major threat 8 years later -- CNN
W.House says Obama strategy will win Afghan war -- Reuters
US 'shifts stance' on Afghan war -- Financial Times
McChrystal: Give Taliban Fighters A Political Voice -- NPR
Afghanistan Enlists Tribal Militia Forces -- Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan hires 10,000 tribesmen to secure polls -- AP
Afghan leader sees peaceful poll, troops ambushed -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Afghanistan's presidential election campaign an exercise in peril -- L.A. Times
Karzai offers rival top Cabinet post in effort to avoid election defeat -- Times Online
U.S. Officials Looking at Karzai Rival for Key New Post -- Washington Post
Opium barons at top of kill or capture list as US targets the Taleban -- Times Online
UK and US hail conviction of Afghan drugs lord -- The Telegraph
Taliban with drug ties now in U.S. cross-hairs -- CNN
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 699 -- Washington Post