Pentagon to Boost Iraq Troops to 135,000

[oberliner]

Pentagon to Boost Iraq Troops to 135,000

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
The Associated Press
Friday, July 28, 2006; 2:16 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's move to increase U.S. forces in Iraq will push troops levels to roughly 135,000, dashing Bush administration hopes of dropping that figure by tens of thousands by the fall congressional campaigns.

As of Friday, there were 16 Army and Marine brigades in Iraq, two more than the level several months ago. And the total troops there had already reached 132,000, and will climb in the coming weeks, buoyed by the decision to delay the scheduled return home this month of an Alaskan Army brigade.

The move is in response to the escalating violence in Baghdad and the new troop levels could remain intact for much of next year.

"You're going to see that spike, that is a sustained spike, for a while, and you're going to still have force rotations that take place," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, adding that the increases could push totals above 135,000 when brigades overlap as they are moving in and out of the country in the coming months.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072800962.html

[ixion]

1. which will do nothing to resolve the issue, only to make it worse

but hey, what the hell, right? :sarcasm:

[Ezlivin]

2. Make the pyre higher!

This administration's actions are a bizarre parody of Bush's "make the pie higher" statement.

I'll let Black Sabbath speak for me:

Now the war pigs have the power....

[bluestateguy]

3. I'm going to take a curtain call now for another slam dunk prediction

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's move to increase U.S. forces in Iraq will push troops levels to roughly 135,000, dashing Bush administration hopes of dropping that figure by tens of thousands by the fall congressional campaigns.

I told you all that the much heralded election year drawdown of troops would never materialize.

Thank you, thank you. No autographs, please.

[Monkeyman]

4. smart butt

Yep I said it would never happen seening what going on everyday.Watch after the 06 run if we do not take back the House and Senate troops will keep going up

[caledesi]

5. Great job "Kreskin!" Any other predictions?

:yourock:

[saigon68]

6. FREEDOM is on the March

lol

SHOUTED THE CHIMPANZEE

[catmandu57]

7. Looks like kkkarl is running smack dab into reality

It was probably his brain child to draw troops down this fall to make the piggies look good, just about everyone here said it wouldn't work. Reality has a funny way of slapping people in the face, five thousand thismonth and next, then ten, then before you know it we've got a full blown war and a draft on our hands.
Yet rover is a political genius.

[TexasLawyer]

8. 'Waiting to Get Blown Up' (troops express frustration with war)

I don't know how our men and women in the military can stand this. When is it going to end?

From Wednesday's Washington Post

<snip>

"Think of what you hate most about your job. Then think of doing what you hate most for five straight hours, every single day, sometimes twice a day, in 120-degree heat," he said. "Then ask how morale is."

Frustrated? "You have no idea," he said.

...(S)ome soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division -- interviewed over four days on base and on patrols -- say they have grown increasingly disillusioned about their ability to quell the violence and their reason for fighting. The battalion of more than 750 people arrived in Baghdad from Kuwait in March, and since then, six soldiers have been killed and 21 wounded.

"It sucks. Honestly, it just feels like we're driving around waiting to get blown up. That's the most honest answer I could give you," said Spec. Tim Ivey, 28, of San Antonio, a muscular former backup fullback for Baylor University. "You lose a couple friends and it gets hard."
...
Steffey said he wished "somebody would explain to us, 'Hey, this is what we're working for.' " With a stream of expletives, he said he could not care less "if Iraq's free" or "if they're a democracy."

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/26/AR2006072601666.html