On February 17, 2009, “The White House Press Secretary [Robert Gibbs] issued a four-paragraph release saying the president [Barack Obama] had decided to deploy more forces [to Afghanistan]. ‘There is no more solemn duty by a president than the decision to deploy our armed forces into harm’s way,’ the release said. It was left to the Pentagon to provide the details on the 17,000 troops going to Afghanistan.”
– Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars, Page 98