Mullen: Afghan Debate Over, Time to Act [View All]

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Mullen: Afghan Debate Over, Time to Act
December 11, 2009
Christian Science Monitor|by Gordon Lubold

WASHINGTON -- The nation's top military officer said the debate on Afghanistan is now over and the time has come to execute President Obama's mission to "reverse the momentum" of the Taliban insurgency.

In short, its time to move out, said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon Thursday.

By next week, a Marine battalion will have landed in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, the first of the 30,000 surge troops announced last month.

Engineers are expanding airfields, contractors are constructing new buildings, and winter supplies are being shipped in. "We're all on the balls of our feet, leaning forward," Mullen said.

Mullen noted the logistics challenges of surging forces and materiel into a landlocked country with nascent infrastructure. But he said he expects to have "the bulk" of the troops to the war zone by summer with the remaining units arriving by fall.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/mullen-afghan-debate-over-time-to-act.html