Asia-Pacific

First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-12-17 07:03
Large Medium Small

WASHINGTON: Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says the first of 30,000 additional troops being sent to Afghanistan have begun to arrive.

First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan
General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of United States Forces Afghanistan, delivers a speech to the Conference of Defence Associations in Ottawa December 16, 2009. [Agencies] 

Related readings:
First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan Brown in Afghanistan, seeks to fix rift with Karzai
First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan German defense minister on surprise visit to Afghanistan
First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan US Commander: next 18 months decisive for Afghanistan

In a Pentagon press briefing, Morrell told reporters that a Marine battalion ordered to deploy earlier this month already has "some boots on the ground," with the rest of them to be flown in before Christmas.

Morrell says "the surge has begun in earnest."

Officials say the goal is to have all 30,000 troops in place by the end of next summer.
Specials
Columns
China Daily E-paper