15,000 more U.S. troops told to prepare for Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2622055.htm

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. military, faced with reluctance by other nations to send forces to Iraq, on Friday night activated 10,000 Army National Guard troops to go there and put 5,000 more Army Guard soldiers on alert for likely service in Iraq. snip

The Army also announced on Friday night it was alerting the 81st National Guard Brigade from Washington state, also with 5,000 troops, to be prepared for a likely call to active duty in Iraq.

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[karlschneider]

1. There is going to be a revolt. Not violent for the nonce, but it will

build quickly. That is my prediction. We shall see.
:grr:

[Fridays Child]

8. ...against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

eom

[Nottingham]

2. Oh this is a bummer! I see more & More troops needed

:bounce:

[Jacobin]

3. Talking Heads are already parroting the 'Nam meme

"We can't afford to lose".

Fucking idiots all. We lost when we tried to conquer and occupy a Muslim country.

won't work, never has never will.

Idiots.

[alcuno]

4. "on Friday night"

Anderson Cooper did a segment tonight on the Friday night news dump. Add this to the list.

[grytpype]

5. How long can they keep this up?

I've heard we can't maintain our current troop levels through next Spring. So pretty soon, we will have no choice but to start pulling out.

Think Iraq will be stable by then? I don't.

I think the last guys to leave will be retreating under fire.

[bahrbearian]

10. In the Spring ,won't the flower's be blooming and

people will dance in the streets...

[rocktivity]

11. Iraq won't be stable by next spring

but Halliburton will have cashed in on their classified no-bid contracts by then, and created a home base for future Middle East invasions. Provided that they're figured out how to keep the lights on, of course.


rocknation

[NNN0LHI]

6. Just one weekend a month n/t

[saigon68]

9. It's going to get "Drafty" in here soon.

They need armed guards for everything there.

They now need tanks to shepherd convoys.

Its going to get worse.

I guess right here in America we have NO---

1. Children to educate.

2. Seniors who need prescription drugs.

3. Unemployed workers.

4. Veterans of this or prior Wars to take care of.

5. Crumbling infastructure to fix.

6. Electrical or water grid problems.

7. Problems with social security.

8. Lagging economy with 2 million fewer jobs than 3 years ago.

I guess a "DRAFT" will solve these problems </SARCASM>

[Cappurr]

7. This is really sad....

And a lot of people are going to be angry. I just think of my own son...he was in the Guard until six short months before 9/11. He is an engineer...makes good money. Wife is an engineer too, but she got laid off under Bush's job creation plan :eyes:. They have a big mortgage and a two year old to support. What the hell would they do if he had to go? What would I do? I would go truly nuts. I've seen war up close and personal and I never want my son to see it.

In my opinion, no-one that serves in a war theater comes back the same and those who have had to kill, and kill repeatedly come back really fucked up. The things you see are things you can NEVER get out of your mind. Ever. I saw a lot it Vietnam that I will never forget and I was just a civilian. I never had to shoot anyone (got shot AT a couple of times, but it happened so fast it was over before I could be scared).

[markses]

12. I marched in NYC

The weekend of shock and awe.

We did our damndest to stop this catastrophe, and yet it keeps on rolling.

[karlschneider]

13. And there is no joy in vindication. "We told you so" sours in the throat

even as the truth of it becomes manifest. For we have wasted (in the real sense) many of who were hopefully some of our best and brightest, and even if they weren't the best and brightest, they were our children.
Over three hundred of them are gone forever. And for what? So that Halliburton gets no-bid contracts. That really seems to be the only tangible result of our adventurism.

I just want someone to produce any evidence it has been worth it.

[Skittles]

15. YES

I find absolutely no satisfaction in being right; I just despair for the soldiers and the Iraqi people.

[kodi]

14. Waist deep in the Big Muddy

"It was back in nineteen forty-two,
I was part of a good platoon.
We were on manoeuvers in Louisiana,
One night by the light of the moon.
The captain said, "We've got to ford the river",
That's where it all began.
We were knee deep in the Big Muddy,
And the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

The Sergeant said, "Sir, are you sure,
This is the way back to the base?"
"Sergeant, I once crossed this river
Not a mile above this place.
It'll be a little soggy but we'll keep slogging.
We'll soon be on dry ground."
We were waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

"Captain, sir, with all this gear
No man'll be able to swim."
"Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie,"
The Captain said to him.
"All we need is a little determination;
Follow me, I'll lead on."
We were neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

All of a sudden, the moon clouded over,
All we heard was a gurgling cry.
A second later, the captain's helmet
Was all that floated by.
The Sergeant said, "Turn around men!
I'm in charge from now on."
And we just made it out of the Big Muddy
With the captain dead and gone.


We stripped and dived and found his body
Stuck in the old quicksand.
I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper
Than the place where he'd once been.
For another stream had joined the Muddy
A half mile from where we'd gone.
We were lucky to get out of the Big Muddy
When the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

Well, you might not want to draw conclusions
I'll leave that to yourself
Maybe you're still walking, maybe you're still talking
Maybe you've still got your health.
But every time I hear the news
That old feeling comes back on;
We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools kept yelling to push on.

Knee deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on
Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on
Waist deep! Neck deep! we'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on

Pete Seeger

TRO © 1967 Melody Trails, Inc. New York, NY