CNN

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan are about to force President Obama to do something he doesn't want to do - make a decision. The day of reckoning has been coming for a while now - as the U.S. death toll continues to rise, the Taliban strengthen their hold on ever-increasing parts of the country, and the effectiveness of the Karzai government when it comes to troops and security remains very much in doubt.

History suggests Afghanistan is a tough nut to crack. And to think you can do it on the cheap with limited budgets and a limited number of troops is just plain ludicrous.

In effect - the White House is being told by the people fighting the war: either come up with a strategy that has a chance of working and commit enough troops to make it happen - or resign yourself to the same failure that all foreign invaders of Afghanistan have ultimately come face-to-face with.

It's time for the administration to stop equivocating. First we heard a decision on troops is "weeks and weeks" away, then we were told there were no plans for additional troops for Afghanistan.

But the people fighting the war say without them - there are no plans for victory either.

Since World War II - we have failed to achieve victory in Korea, in Vietnam, in Iraq... And the polls indicate the American people are not eager to commit the resources that might be necessary to win this one either.

Here’s my question to you: What should President Obama do when commanders are saying the mission in Afghanistan will fail without more troops?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

President Obama is stepping up the U.S. effort in Afghanistan. He says the U.S. will send 4,000 more troops there in addition to the 17,000 additional combat troops he authorized last month.

Pres. Obama says the U.S. will send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 17,000 he authorized last month.

Mr. Obama is describing a "comprehensive" new strategy to confront the growing threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Seven and a half years after the 9/11 attacks he says al Qaeda is planning new attacks against the U.S. from its safe haven in Pakistan.

President Obama says up until now Afghanistan has been denied the resources it needs because of the war in Iraq; and he's pledging those 4,000 additional troops to help train the Afghan Army and police - new legislation that would help the economies of both countries; and more civilian help to develop Afghanistan's economy and corrupt government.

As for Pakistan, the president says that after years of mixed results, the U.S. won't provide a "blank check" to them; they'll have to prove they're committed to rooting out al Qaeda.

It seems like Mr. Obama has public support behind him here. A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 63 percent of those surveyed favor his plan to send an additional 17,000 troops into Afghanistan. However, he also has his work cut out for him: While 62 percent say the U.S. can eventually win the war there, only half that many think the U.S. is winning now.

Here’s my question to you: Should the U.S. send additional troops to Afghanistan?

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Marines patrol in the town of Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

President Bush is thinking about speeding up the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq starting in September.

Reports say no decision has been made yet, but anywhere from 1 to 3 of the 15 combat brigades now in Iraq could be withdrawn by the time Mr. Bush leaves office in January. That would leave between 120,000 and 130,000 troops in Iraq, down from a peak of 170,000 last year.

One reason for an accelerated withdrawal is because more U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been making a comeback. Yesterday, 9 U.S. troops died in an insurgent attack there – the deadliest for U.S. troops in 3 years. In the last two months, more American and allied troops have died in Afghanistan than in Iraq.

The White House says that although the president hopes to bring more troops home, he will wait to hear what General David Petraeus says in September. If President Bush decides to announce troop reductions, it could impact the presidential race. John McCain could say that the surge, which he was in favor of, worked, and therefore troops can now be withdrawn.

On the other hand, Barack Obama has been against the Iraq war from the outset and has said he would immediately look at getting our troops out of Iraq if he's elected. Obama has said the war in Afghanistan has suffered because of the administration's misguided policies in Iraq. He says he would be in favor of deploying up to 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Here’s my question to you: Would faster troop withdrawal from Iraq help John McCain or Barack Obama?

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