That's One Weak-Ass Endorsement

It looks like a decision has been made on Afghanistan:

The president still has more meetings scheduled on Afghanistan, but informed sources tell CBS News he intends to give Gen. Stanley McChrystal most, if not all, the additional troops he is asking for.

McChrystal wanted 40,000 and the president has tentatively decided to send four combat brigades plus thousands more support troops. A senior officer says “that’s close to what [McChrystal] asked for.” All the president’s military advisers have recommended sending more troops.

I’m still not convinced we have a realistic endgame in mind for Afghanistan, and four additional combat brigades* seems too small a force to win outright. But it’s too large a commitment — not just in blood and treasure, but in prestige — for any result we’re likely to achieve.

However, the President is the commander-in-chief, and gets the benefit of the doubt. For now.

*We were promised during the campaign that four combat brigades would be enough to turn the tide — the four brigades the President already ordered deployed months ago.