PCR Project Co-Director Karin von Hippel quoted in The Scotland Herald on the Surge in Afghanistan

Flikr photo by Army.mil used under a Creative Commons license. As the U.S. military prepares for a troop surge in Afghanistan, questions remain regarding the motivation, mission, and potential success of U.S. military engagement.  PCR Project Co-Director Karin von Hippel discussed the surge in a news article, Strategic strike group has just 300 Marines:

I think that this is more of a psychological surge than a practical surge.

In Afghanistan, the number of troops - if you combine NATO, American and Afghan troops - is 200,000 forces versus 600,000 in Iraq.

Those numbers are so low that an extra 30,000 isn't going to get you to where you need to be. It's more of a stopgap measure.