As Gen. Abizaid requests more troops remember what Gen. Shinseki said

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040409-043322-4828r

Abizaid has requested more forces

WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid has requested more forces for Iraq and was discussing plans Friday with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a senior defense official confirmed. snip

Whatever the military requirement, adding troops to the force in Iraq carries with it a poltical price. More than a year ago, then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki told Congress the occupation of Iraq would require "several hundred thousand" troops. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz called that estimate "wildly off the mark." The Pentagon leaked the name of Shinseki's replacement months before his scheduled retirement, rendering him a lame duck.

In his farewell speech at his retirement ceremony last year, Shinseki warned the Army was being over-committed.

"Beware the 12-division strategy for a 10-division Army," he said. "Our soldiers and families bear the risk and the hardship of carrying a mission load that exceeds what force capabilities we can sustain, so we must alleviate risk and hardship by our willingness to resource the mission requirements."

As Shinseki predicted, the Army is very heavily tapped. Between Iraq and Afghanistan, nine of its 10 divisions are either on deployment or have recently been relieved by other forces and are due for rest and retraining.

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[kalian]

1. They're just trying to develope the justification for a draft.....

and they'll get it no matter who occupies the WH.

[LittleApple81]

2. Arrogance, arrogance, arrogance. I love Al Franken's imitation

of Rumsfeld's speech patterns, asking himself questions which he answers immediately... here we see the consequence of our "free press" allowing these people free reign with our country.

[BOSSHOG]

3. General Shinseki's prediction was based in large part

on a great love of his Soldiers. He knew what was necessary to keep them safe. Something wolfowitz and the gang of chickenhawks know nothing about. Another argument for paying attention to people with no perspective problems. I think it is very fair to say that Generals and Admirals love their servicemembers, know what is best for them and plan with their welfare in mind. In other words wolfowitz, you were way the fuck off the mark. And as one who has served, I hope the fuck you end up in a jail cell.