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...
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