Extra forces could stay in Afghanistan 5 years


Gen. David McKiernan, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, predicted today that the additional 17,000 U.S. military forces to be sent to Afghanistan will remain there for as long as five years.

"This is not a temporary force uplift," McKiernan said. "It will need to be sustained for some period of time, for the next three to four to five years."

McKiernan made his comments a day after President Obama approved the troop increase for Afghanistan.

"I'll use most of those forces in southern Afghanistan, an area where we do not have sufficient security presence, an area that has deteriorated somewhat," he said.

He predicted that the extra troops will be operational before the planned August elections.
Still, he added, "even with these additional forces, I have to tell you that 2009 is going to be a tough year."

(Via CNN)

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