The president has set a limit on the number of US troops in Afghanistan. For now.
That's how escalation works. Ceilings become floors. Gradually.
A few times since last fall, the Obama team has floated rising numbers for how many additional US soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan. Now, deployment of 21,000 more is a done deal, with a new total cap of 68,000 US troops in that country.
But "escalation" isn't mere jargon. And it doesn't just refer to what's happening outside the United States…
Read the full column