A Pentagon spokesman, Colonel Dave Lapan, says the Post story itself notes that the 13,000 support troops are within the overall maximum authorized by President Barack Obama earlier this year.

VOA: standard.2009.10.13

We thought that the Taliban will be reduced to a minor irritating factor within 6 months to a year.

我们原以为,在六个月到一年之内塔利班分子会减少成为一个很小的势利。

普林斯顿公开课 - 国际座谈会课程节选