"U.S. forces are being increased by 21,000, to 68,000, bringing the coalition total to 110,000. About 9,000 are from Britain, where support for the war is waning. Counterinsurgency theory concerning the time and the ratio of forces required to protect the population indicates that, nationwide, Afghanistan would need hundreds of thousands of coalition troops, perhaps for a decade or more. That is inconceivable."
__George F. Will

"Eight American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings in south Afghanistan on Tuesday, the U.S. military said, making October the deadliest month for American troops since the Taliban was ousted in 2001.

The deaths come as the Obama administration is considering whether to send tens of thousands more soldiers to the U.S.-led international force here that already numbers 65,000 American troops and 40,000 allied soldiers drawn mostly from Europe and Canada. Rising casualties have made the war increasingly unpopular in the U.S. and among its allies.

Tuesday's deaths occurred during "multiple, complex" bomb strikes that also killed one Afghan civilian, the U.S. military said in a statement. Several troops were wounded and evacuated to a nearby medical facility, the military said. No other details were immediately available.

Taliban attacks have grown in sophistication in recent months, causing a spike in coalition deaths. Every month since June, Afghan insurgents managed to kill at least 70 coalition soldiers, and Tuesday's attacks bring October's coalition tally so far to 68 – of those, 55 were Americans. Most of these deaths have been caused by bombs that are detonated on the path of military convoys and patrols ..."

Full story via wsj.com