Troop Increase in Afghanistan Looks Certain.

President Obama will get tacit, albeit largely reluctant, congressional support for an increase in the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. That will come despite declining U.S. public support for the war, criticism that the mission goals need greater clarity and demands for a clear exit strategy. There are presently 62,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, about double the level a year ago. Obama already added 17,000 troops earlier this year and will decide soon to send anywhere from 10,000 to 45,000 more. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen essentially put lawmakers on notice about it Tuesday, despite opposition from leading Democrats who call it a wrong move and insist that Afghans need to take care of their own country now...Link