Today is the eighth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Congress is also getting back to work after its summer recess. The healthcare issue has taken center stage, but the continuation of the Afghan war is also an issue, and on that issue, President Obama faces growing opposition from his own party. Today the number of U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan hit 745.
Three articles published today describe the controversy:
Democratic support for Afghan war waning
By Lara Jakes (AP), Sept 11 2009
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in Congress urged the Obama administration Thursday to quickly produce a plan for winning the war in Afghanistan or risk widespread opposition within the president’s own party to a new troop buildup.
Simmering congressional frustration could lead to tighter scrutiny and more limited resources, even if Capitol Hill ultimately does approve sending more U.S. troops to the war-torn nation, aides said.
“I don’t think there’s a great deal of support for sending more troops to Afghanistan in the country or in the Congress,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking Democrat to signal that a push for more troops will get a skeptical look.
Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha, chair of the powerful House Appropriations panel that oversees military spending, described himself as “very nervous” about sending more troops to Afghanistan and cited limited funds to do so.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid urged Democrats to resist rushing to judgment. But he, too, said he wanted to see President Barack Obama’s plans for the military mission before adding more soldiers, pilots and Marines to the mix.
…
How Many Troops Should Be in Afghanistan?
By Nancy Cordes (CBS News), Sept 11 2009
Paying tribute to the victims of Sept. 11, President Obama urged Americans not to lose faith in the mission it sparked.
“Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and plot against us still,” Mr. Obama said.
But as Mr. Obama considers sending more troops to Afghanistan, his own party is balking. Friday, the Senate Armed Services Chair Carl Levin implored him not to order more deployments, but to focus instead on training the Afghan army and police, …
“We need a surge of Afghan security forces,” Levin said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a similar message to the president. “I don’t think there is a great deal of support for sending more troops to Afghanistan in the country or in the Congress,” Pelosi said.
The misgivings in the President’s own party reflect a growing national pessimism amid record casualties there.
A recent CBS News poll found approval for the president’s handling of the war has sunk to 48 percent – down 8 points since April.
…
Lawmakers Brace for Fight Over U.S. Troop Surge for Afghanistan
By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Bloomberg, Sept 12 2009
Lawmakers are taking sides in a debate unfolding at the White House and on Capitol Hill over the wisdom and cost of deploying thousands more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan.
Senator Carl Levin, the Armed Services Committee chairman, yesterday joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other prominent Democrats in expressing opposition to sending more combat forces. He urged the Obama administration instead to focus on expanding Afghan security forces and persuading insurgents to abandon anti-government militias, as was done in Iraq.
Senator Joseph Lieberman, meanwhile, lined up with leading Republicans calling for a boost in U.S. forces akin to the 2007 troop surge that has been credited with improving security in Iraq. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, heads the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
…
