A different commander-in-chief?

We heard this morning the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd brigade is on the ground in Afghanistan and already engaged in combat. It was widely expected three more Army or Marine brigades would follow them quickly.

But according to Politico, President Obama is mulling his strategy in a more deliberate manner than his predecessor:

Rather than sign off quickly on all or part of a long-standing Pentagon request for three Army combat brigades and Marine units, totaling over 10,000 troops, Obama and his aides are questioning the timetable, the mission and even the composition of the new forces, officials familiar with the deliberations said.

Afghanistan – famously called “the place where empires go to die” – poses at least as much of a danger to U.S. soldiers as Iraq. It would do the Pentagon well to think about exactly what it wants to accomplish there before committing more troops.