Gates: Only Three Additional Combat Brigades Possible in 2009

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee asks Secretary Gates about “the speed of our force drawdown in Iraq and our force increase in Afghanistan.”

Gates says that “should the president make the final decision to deploy additional brigades to Afghanistan,” two combat brigades could arrive “probably by late spring,” and potentially “a third by mid-summer.” But infrastructure to “support and sustain” a force that size would probably not allow additional troop increases in 2009. So three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan would have to be all for this year, if President Obama makes the decision to send more troops, and regardless of how fast a troop drawdown in Iraq proceeds.