Fresh American Troops Arrive in Iraq

[Rose Siding]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A brigade of fresh U.S. troops arriving in Baghdad will push the total U.S. troop presence in the Iraqi capital to an estimated 40,000 by Monday, as planners prepare for an expected assault on insurgent hotspots to the west and for Iraqi elections in January.

Army units slated to depart were being held back until after the elections, causing the overall number of U.S. troops in Iraq to swell to around 142,000, the highest level since the summer of 2003.

At Camp Victory North, the sprawling headquarters of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, the mess hall and housing trailers were brimming to capacity with the arrival of the 3,700-member Louisiana-based 256th Enhanced Separate Brigade, a National Guard unit that has been rolling into the Iraqi capital over the past few days.
.........
Even as it builds up its forces here, the U.S. military has softened one of its more aggressive symbols.

The Army has renamed 17 of its bases in and around the Iraqi capital, dropping cocky names like Camp Steel Dragon for more benign ones like Camp Honor.

Gone also is Camp Headhunter, Camp Banzai, Camp Warhorse and Camp Gunslinger. Since mid-September, those bases have been renamed camps Independence, Justice, Freedom and Solidarity.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-more-troops,0,5229586.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[frank frankly]

1. can you puke to death?

if I don't, it won't be from a lack of trying...

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

get ready for a bloodbath next week. lameduck Bush will kill as many humans as he can down the home stretch.

may he burn in HIS hell, forever and ever and ever

[smallprint]

2. I have some more suggestions for name changes:

Camp Halliburton
Camp Enron
Camp KBR
Camp Texaco
Camp Mobil
Camp Exxon
Camp Re-select The Chimp
Camp Where-The-Hell-Are-Our-Flak-Jackets
Camp Stop-Loss
Camp Quagmire

[Catfight]

3. Smallprint, I agree with your camp suggestions. n/t

[smallprint]

5. Thanks, although really the soldiers beat me to it:

Back at the beginning of the war, there was a report that troops were naming the main streets of the base camps after oil companies-- i.e. Texaco Avenue, Exxon Street, etc. I think they were pretty aware of what was going on already.

edit:
NYT 3/27/2003
Army Depots in Iraqi Desert Have Names of Oil Giants
By NEELA BANERJEE


The subtleties surrounding the sensitive role oil plays in the Iraqi war may have eluded the United States Army. Deep in some newspaper coverage yesterday was a report that the 101st Airborne Division had named one central Iraq outpost Forward Operating Base Shell and another Forward Operating Base Exxon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/27/business/27CAMP.html

[jimshoes]

6. How about Camp

Let's get the fuck out of here.

[mediaman007]

4. Attack may begin tomorrow...November surprise

Its the only thing that Bush* has left. They waited this long so they can gain the PR for the start of the battle, but not suffer the effects of more dead or wounded soldiers.

[bpilgrim]

7. here comes trouble

remember what happened last time... FALLUJAH

peace

[maddezmom]

8. AP has it now...rate it

Fresh American Troops Arrive in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops clashed with Sunni insurgents west of the capital Monday, and gunmen assassinated Baghdad's deputy governor as fresh American soldiers arrived in the capital — reinforcements that will push U.S. military strength in Iraq (news - web sites) to its highest level since the summer of 2003.


American artillery pounded suspected insurgent positions in Fallujah, witnesses said, where U.S. forces are gearing up for an offensive if Iraqi mediation fails to win agreement to hand over foreign Arab fighters and other militants.


U.S. and Iraqi officials hope to curb the insurgency in Fallujah and other Sunni strongholds in time for national elections by the end of January. Voter registration for the January balloting began Monday.


In order to provide enough security for the voting, Army units slated to depart are being held back until after the election. The delays in departures and the arrival of new units will push the total U.S. military presence in Iraq to around 142,000.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20041101/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[UpInArms]

9. related article: Highest US troop level ahead of Fallujah assault

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1339469,00.html

America has increased its troop numbers in Iraq to their highest levels since the war ended, it emerged today.

Home leave has been delayed for several months for tens of thousands US soldiers, in preparation for the January elections and the impending attack on Fallujah.

Lengthening the tours of duty, coupled with the arrival of new detachments, such as the 256th Enhanced Separate Brigade, a 3,500 strong cavalry unit, have brought American troop numbers up to 142,000.

The gradual concentration of forces comes amid continued high levels of violence by militants opposed to the US occupation and all those who co-operate with it.

...more...

[mountebank]

10. Why are these preparations lingering in the headlines so long?

I can't remember seeing preparations for a major assault linger around in the headlines for so many days. Something tells me all this talk of preparations and "final phase" and "ultra-final, almost-gonna-attack phase" is not directed toward Fallujah insurgents so much as the American people; to wit, that we should feel anxious and not particularly like "changing horses mid-stream." After all, what happens when you change Presidents in the middle of a military operation?

It's pretty clearly political, but I haven't seen much analysis from this angle.