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December 3, 2009

Pentagon: Gates Authorized to Deploy More Troops
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The Pentagon has acknowledged President Obama’s new troop deployment to
Afghanistan could be higher than the 30,000 he announced this week. The
Washington Post reports Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been
authorized to deploy another 3,000 troops at his discretion. A senior
Pentagon official said the number of additional US forces deployed under
Obama’s escalation plan could ultimately top 35,000. Speaking before the
Senate Armed Services Committee, Gates said the first troops would begin
to arrive in Afghanistan later this month.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “The first of these forces will begin to
arrive in Afghanistan within two to three weeks. In all, since taking
office, President Obama has committed nearly 52,000 additional troops to
Afghanistan for a total US force of approximately 100,000.”

Appearing with Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the
escalation plan would also entail a boost in non-military personnel.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “As we put additional troops in, we
want to have more civilians embedded with them. We want to have them
right there on the ground when combat is over to begin the building
process and partnering with their civilian counterparts.”



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