General Says 20,000 Troops Should Stay in Afghanistan

March 8, 2013 by legitgov

General Says 20,000 Troops Should Stay in Afghanistan 06 Mar 2013 The American commander in the Middle East said on Tuesday that he had recommended that 13,600 United States troops remain in Afghanistan after the combat mission [to protect the CIA's opium routes] ends in 2014, a number slightly higher than the one being considered by NATO and Pentagon officials. The officer, Gen. James N. Mattis of the Central Command, revealed his recommendation during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he also said that a NATO contribution to an enduring mission occupation in Afghanistan could equal half of the American deployment, for a total alliance troop presence of 20,000 under his proposal.