Number of U.S. Troops in Iraq Is 116,000

[Khephra]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The number of American troops deployed in Iraq is nearly 116,000, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said Wednesday. That is at least 10,000 less than previously believed.

As recently as last week, the number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq was believed to be between 125,000 and 130,000. The coalition spokesman, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, did not explain the reduced figure, but his disclosure comes as the U.N. Security Council considers a U.S. draft resolution calling for a multinational force to join the American-led coalition.

The United States wants to command the proposed peacekeeping force and continue to run Iraq's civilian administration, but says it wants other countries' help in stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq.

There already are troops from nearly two dozen nations deployed in Iraq. A Polish-commanded 21-nation force took control last week of a 31,000-square-mile zone in central Iraq.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-u.s.-troops,0,628186.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[underpants]

1. That sounds like some of that there "fuzzy math"

Uh-huck

[hang a left]

3. Or just maybe that is the tally less the

casualties and injured

[atreides1]

8. Not Really

Remember most of the 3rd ID has been with drawn along with some Marine units in the area that the Polish just took over.

And by the way, we the tax payers are footing the bill for the Poles,
to the tune of $800,000,000.

The administration wants to keep complete control of both the military
and political power in Iraq. They just want foreign troops as cannon fodder nothing more.

The Danish have already been attacked, and have lost one soldier killed, by his own side.

[Beetwasher]

2. Wha wha whaaaaat?

I don't know what to make of this. Tinfoil anyone?

[5thGenDemocrat]

4. Right -- the Army just misplaced two brigades...

Now we're hiring Hessians -- I mean Poles -- to help us with the dirty work.
John
Outsourcing war worked for another King George, I guess. Sad thing is that other "partners" will be willing to sell us their kids' lives even cheaper than the Poles did.

[Khephra]

6. Heya John!

I haven't seen you around much!

:hi:

[leftchick]

5. I hope this is an "accounting error"

and not reflecting the hidden casualty rate that this fucked up misadministration refuses to divulge.

[smallprint]

7. Thousands of US Troops Evacuated from Iraq for Unexplained Medical Reasons

this is from a story from the World Socialist Web Site, 9/9/03, which quotes a 9/3/03 WaPost article-- could these be the missing soldiers?

snip

At no point in the last six months have the American people been told that for every soldier who has been killed in Iraq, at least another 15 have fallen so ill that they had to be flown back to the United States. The Post described the unexplained evacuations simply as the “thousands who became physically or mentally ill”.

end

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/sep2003/wia-s09.shtml

[Wwagsthedog]

9. What hasn't been mentioned...

... is how many troops we have in Kuwait. Does anyone know how many are there or in other gulf countries such as Qatar?

[Paschall]

10. What about civilian support...

...all those privatized services being rendered our troops? I've heard a wide range of estimates, that they number 4 to 10 more than the troops. Anybody got figures?