There's all that perky, right-wing optimism ... and then there's:
2,000 Marines face longer Afghan tour
I'm sorry ... is there a problem here? Oh:
WASHINGTON - In a decision reflecting the shortage of available combat troops, more than 2,000 Marines fighting the Taliban will be kept in Afghanistan 30 days beyond their original seven-month tour, the Marine Corps said yesterday.
The decision by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to extend the Marines' tour was confirmed a day after Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that more troops are needed in Afghanistan but that he didn't have more troops to send.
Gates had said several times in recent months that he had "no plans" to extend the Marines' tour. But U.S. officials, including Mullen, have said recently that the situation in Afghanistan is worsening and that the Taliban-led insurgency is gaining ground and influence.
Oh, dear. Let's not anyone tell the Blogging Tories about this. It would seriously harsh their mellow.
2 comments:
You can't have good news all the time. :)
CC, what is it with you highlighting reality on such a regular basis?
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