US wants Muslim soldiers in Iraq: Myers

[Barrett808]

The National Security Council met on Friday to discuss whether to contribute Turkish troops to Iraq.

The United States wants more Muslim countries, including Turkey, to send troops to the international stability force in Iraq, the had of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday.

General Richard Myers called for Muslim troops to take part in the US-led force currently active in Iraq during a visit to US soldiers in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Myers said that there was need for 15,000 to 20,000 Muslim soldiers in Iraq.

He also stated that currently there were 130,000 US troops and 22,000 forces from the coalition forces serving in Iraq.

http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20030919115819956

[sspiderjohn]

1. Why? We running out of friendly fire targets or something?

Maybe. We've started shooting at Italians.

[Karenina]

4. By the way

Was that Italian envoy blonde or sumthin'? He didn't get shot now did he?

Hey, I'm all for it. Git more Muslims in there drawing fire on behalf of the BFEE. <sarcasm off>

[htuttle]

2. Now he says there's 130,000 US troops in Iraq?

Last week, the Washington Post said there were 116,000 US troops in Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55862-2003Sep10.html

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.

Does the General not know how many troops he has deployed in a war theatre? I'd expect him to be off by a few hundred, maybe a thousand -- but 14,000 off?

[jamesinca]

5. I think they had 130,00 on May 1st

Myers is not taking into account, or he is is not admitting to the number wounded and killed. That is your 14,000 difference. Or they just got a fresh influx of more Natl. Guard units in. Maybe he is counting the brigade size detail that they are requesting from S. Korea before they get there. Maybe half the problems that this administration is having is they have more troops commited to this then they are telling and that is keeping them handcuffed.

I am more inclined to think he slipped up and revealed something or he was thinking of the tax break Bush gave him. In either case, he knows the troop strength there. He knows it better than a reporter knows.

[fizzana]

3. They're there already

"Myers said that there was need for 15,000 to 20,000 Muslim soldiers in Iraq."

The only problem is they're fighting for the other side.

The only way they'll get those Muslin soldiers is if they quickly start cenverting our troops to Islam.

[saigon68]

6. Yes Myers (the moron) wants the Turks to Police the Kurds

That should be a lot of fun-- to watch (not)

[jimshoes]

7. Just how much is this going to cost

8 billion or didn't we already give them 8 billion. I wonder if the Turks charged the chimp sales tax.

[cliss]

8. OK, let's see if I've got this right.

The US is going to ask Muslims to go into Iraq, help police the country, hold pointed guns at them & occasionally shoot?

They must not realize that all muslims share a common faith, Islam. That would be like asking the Japanese to help with the bombing of Hiroshima.

Why don't they ask the Chinese for help? They would at least be radically different from the Iraqis.

[kskiska]

9. What a shame

France has loads of Arab-speaking Muslim soldiers. With a little forethought…

[fizzana]

10. You expect forethought from this lot?

n/t