Corker On Afghanistan Troop Levels: Is 5,500 Enough?

President Obama’s decision to leave 5,500 troops in Afghanistan past his time in office is getting support from Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the foreign relations committee.

“I certainly understand the need for us to continue to be a stabilizing force there for some period of time,” Corker told WPLN after speaking at a conference in Nashville on Thursday morning.

But when American troops are on the ground, Corker says, they need a big footprint. After the military’s experience in Iraq, he wonders if 5,500 soldiers would be enough to provide security for Americans and still have the numbers to do the real work of assisting the Afghan army, especially considering insurgents are
holding more territory than any time since 2001.

“You’ve seen what’s happened recently with the gains the Taliban is making. The question is, is 5,500 the right number? Even at 9,800, the country has been seeing some instability,” Corker said. 

Corker notes that military commanders have wanted to keep the
nearly 10,000 troops on the ground now for the foreseeable future. Many of those have been from Fort Campbell’s 101
^st Airborne Division, which has continued
regular rotations to Afghanistan, even during the drawdown.