Obama's Decision on What is to Be Done.

1. Yesterday, President Obama announced that he would be sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, but also stated that he would begin bringing troops home in 2011. He argued that the US could not afford and should not have to bear an open-ended commitment. He hopes that this surge will bring a successful conclusion to the war. Obama stated that the cost would be roughly 30 billion more than we are currently spending and has not yet come up with a plan to pay this expense, although he has stated he is "committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly." He was vague on the issue of Pakistan, which many believe will be the more intractable problem in the future. He did sign off on a plan that calls for more drone aircraft strikes. They are using lessons learned from the previous administrations such as empowering local security forces to fight the Taliban in their communities and teaming American fighting units with Afghan units. The troops being sent will be for primarily protecting the country's population centers. Obama also pressured President Karzai to tackle issues such as corruption and drug trafficking.