U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal arrives to his assumption of a command ceremony as the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in Kabul, Monday, June 15, 2009. Daily NewsFrom McClatchy News:
KABUL, Afghanistan — In addition to requesting some 45,000 additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the country's top American military commander will ask the Obama administration to double the number of U.S. government civilian workers who are in the country.
The proposed civilian "surge" is the fourth leg of Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's emerging strategy to rebuild Afghanistan's economy and government, along with more American troops, vastly expanded Afghan security forces and closer cooperation between U.S. and Afghan troops, including posting troops from both countries at the same bases.
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My Comment: If these stories are true, it appears that Gen. Stanley McChrystal will be requesting not only a massive buildup of U.S. military forces to expand the war in Afghanistan, but as a complement to this military surge he will be requesting civilian assistance and resources to conduct what in essence will be "nation building".
President Obama and Congress are not going to approve this request. Ignore the budget busting provisions and the huge amount of killing that will be the result, the political ramifications to their Democratic political base will be explosive if General McChrystal's proposals (if what the media is reporting is true) is accepted. The political bloodletting will be like 1968, when opposition to the Vietnam War split the Democratic party.
The Democratic Party may have been wrong on a lot of things .... but as politicians they are not suicidal.