President Obama to announce U.S. troops plan next week

President Obama will wait until after this Thanksgiving holiday to announce how many more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan.

By: Whit Johnson CBS News | WNCT
Published: November 26, 2009

President Obama will wait until after this Thanksgiving holiday to announce how many more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan.
About 70,000 American troops will spend Thanksgiving in Afghanistan. Many more U.S. forces may soon join the battle.
Commanders are asking for a 50% boost in the number of U.S. troops, about 30,000 to 40,000 more.
President Obama is expected to announce a decision on deployment next week.
The president will unveil a new battle plan for Afghanistan and work to convince the public the war is winnable.
It could be an even tougher sell to liberal democrats on Capitol Hill who are widely opposed to a troop surge. The Obama administration is sending in the nation's highest-ranking military officer to help make their case.
The President's plan is said to include an exit strategy for the tens of thousands of troops who could be sent to Afghanistan as soon as February.
Advisers say the strategy will also explain how the $30 billion troop increase will be paid for.
With the war now into its 9th year, troops have spent plenty of holidays on the battlefield. And until the fight is finished, they will likely spend more.