Afghanistan: Delayed Troop Deployment

The Christian Science Monitor reports that all 30,000 troops of the Afghan surge will not finish deploying until November, several months after the initially announced timeline.  President Obama is expected to conduct an evaluation of the new Afghan strategy that December, leaving only a month for the surge to take full effect.

In an op ed for the Telegraph, President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia explains why his country has decided to send nearly 1,000 troops to Afghanistan, although it is not yet a NATO member. As a nascent democracy that has had success battling corruption, Georgia has a lot of relevant experience to offer in Afghanistan, argues Saakashvili.

George McGovern asks “why do we send young Americans to risk life and limb on behalf of such worthless regimes?” Finally, Juan Cole highlights the increasing militarization of aid in Afghanistan.