United States: Afghanistan Discussions Continue; Significant Questions Remain At White House

As the Obama administration moves closer to announcing a decision on deploying additional troops and resources to Afghanistan, doubts continue to linger among the President's top national security advisors regarding the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The latest reservations came from U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, who recently sent two strongly-worded memos to President Obama questioning the wisdom of sending 40,000 additional U.S. troops—as recommended by the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal—without clear assurances that President Karzai will act as a strong and capable partner with the United States.

Eikenberry, a retired Army Lieutenant General who served as the top American commander in Afghanistan from 2005-2007, also warned that a larger U.S. troop presence could signal a decreasing sense of urgency for Karzai's government to take over internal security responsibilities—a prospect that President Obama views as undercutting long-term U.S. goals.

According to officials close to the internal discussions, President Obama will likely announce a revamped Afghanistan strategy following his scheduled trip to Asia, which concludes on November 19. Until then, the President has ordered his national security team to provide detailed timelines for the transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghan government under the four proposals currently being considered, which include the following:

• McChrystal Proposal—Backed by senior officials at the Pentagon, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, it would increase current troop levels (68,000) by 40,000 in order to implement a broadened counterinsurgency strategy aimed at protecting Afghan civilians in the country's largest urban centers. Military officials estimate the total cost of Gen. McChrystal's recommendation would be $33 billion, although the White House says the figure is closer to $50 billion.
• Gates Proposal—Gaining momentum inside the Pentagon is a proposal backed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that involves troop increases between 30-35,000, with the remaining 5-10,000 coming from NATO allies. The plan would place greater emphasis on the training of Afghan security forces and would likely include reinforcements of roughly 10,000 U.S. military trainers. The estimated cost for the Gates proposal is $27 billion.
• Hybrid Proposal—Combining counterinsurgency and counterterrorism principles, it would deploy 20,000 troops to secure Afghan's major population centers. For the rest of the country, however, heightened counterterrorism operations would be conducted by Special Operations forces, Predator drones, and fighter jets aimed at eliminating threats posed by al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The annual cost is projected to be $22 billion.
• Light Footprint Proposal —Although military officials believe President Obama is highly unlikely to choose this option, it would involve increased troop level of 10-15,000, most of which would be used to train the Afghan security forces.

M-ATV Production Continues to Ramp Up

Oshkosh Corporation announced on Wednesday that the Pentagon has ordered an additional 1,000 Mine Resistant All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) for Afghanistan, a $438 million order that brings the contract's total value to more than $3.2 billion.

Lighter and more agile than the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection (MRAP) vehicles used primarily in Iraq, the M-ATV was specifically designed to handle the rough and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. Currently, 6,200 M-ATV trucks have been ordered, and the DoD said it could purchase up to 10,000 in total.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited the Oshkosh, Wisconsin manufacturing plan on Thursday, praising the company's efficient production standards as the U.S. military seeks urgent protections from the threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Oshkosh announced that it had surpassed delivery requirements for the fourth month, and says it plans to ramp up production to 1,000 M-ATVs per month by December.

Lawmakers Eye 2011 NDAA for Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Rep. Barney Frank told reporters on Wednesday that both houses of Congress will use the Fiscal Year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy—a controversial law passed by Congress in 1993 mandating the discharge of openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual U.S. service members.

Representative and Iraq War veteran Patrick Murphy (D-PA) is currently leading an effort in the House to end DADT through the enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283), a bill that has garnered the support of 183 House members. Although no strategy for repeal was endorsed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office told reporters that "one way or another, this policy, which is unfair to patriotic Americans who serve our country and strengthen our national security, must be changed."

According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a leading organization in the opposition to DADT, more than 13,500 members of the military have been discharged under the law since 1994.

Nominations

On November 10, President Obama announced the nomination of Erin C. Conaton as an Under Secretary of the Air Force. Conaton currently serves as the staff director of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), a post she has held since 2007.

Quote of the Week

"We understand that sending men and women into harm's way is the most difficult decision that a commander in chief must make. However, over 68,000 Americans are already serving in harm's way in Afghanistan, and the sooner we can provide the reinforcements and resources they need, the safer and more successful they will be."

Excerpt from a letter sent to President Obama by 10 Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). Signed on November 11, the letter urges the President to "fully support" Gen. McChrystal's recommendations for troop increases of 40,000 in Afghanistan.

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