In Afghanistan, It's About Air Power, Too.

As The Post reports today, President Bush is facing pressure to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. The military is undertaking a strategic review similar to the review that resulted in the "surge" in Iraq, and commanders in Afghanistan are calling for more resources to fight increased violence and Taliban resurgence.

According to a new study by Anthony Cordesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, close-air support sorties by aircraft from Bagram air base have doubled to 12,775 in 2007 from 6,495 in 2004. The number of sorties where weapons have been dropped has increased 30 times, to 2,926 so far in 2007 from 86 in 2004. August 2007 was the busiest month since 2003 for air strikes where munitions were dropped, and the monthly activity through 2007 exceeded the totals for any month in 2004 or 2005.

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