President Barack Obama, in his first major military decision, has authorized the Pentagon to send an extra 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to tackle worsening insurgent violence, the White House said on Tuesday. “This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires,” Obama said in a written statement. As a presidential candidate, Obama promised to focus more attention on the war in Afghanistan, where Taleban militants and other insurgents have stepped up their campaign of violence in the past two years. The 17,000 troops include an Army brigade equipped with Stryker armored vehicles, a Marine expeditionary brigade and support personnel, officials said. – Reuters could expand the US military presence in Afghanistan to 60,000 troops, from a current 38,000, in coming months. There are also some 30,000 troops from NATO nations attempting to stabilize Afghanistan.
