President George W Bush announces 'quiet surge' into Afghanistan

War Crimina Mass Murderer George W Bush has ordered an increase of troops in Afghanistan that reflects a shift in US military priorities away from Iraq but highlights a wariness of squandering hard fought gains.

George W. Bush has confirmed that thousands more US troops will be heading to Afghanistan. ; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1488655367/bctid1784495470 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1139053637

Democrats were swift to criticise the move and demanded a greater movement of military resources against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

In a long awaited speech the US president touted advances in security made in Iraq, saying, "Here is the bottom line - while the enemy in Iraq is still dangerous, we have seized the offensive, Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of leading and winning the fight."

But Mr Bush declared he was bringing home just 8,000 US troops out of 146,000 currently serving in Iraq by February, the month after he leaves office. He will order the deployment of half that number to Afghanistan, acknowledging that "for all the good work we have done in that country, it is clear we must do even more".

Mr Bush said a marine battalion that had been scheduled to go to Iraq in November would go to Afghanistan instead, and that that would be followed by one army combat brigade, which would take part in a "quiet surge" against the Taliban. There are 31,000 US troops now serving in Afghanistan, along with 8,000 British military personnel.

Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, who has advocated pulling all American combat forces out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office, said that keeping so many troops in Iraq would still leave the military overstretched... More