92,000 US troops told to prepare for Iraq rotation

[Christa]

Our poor boys and girls :-( How many will come back?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051107/us_nm/iraq_usa_troops_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
Pentagon on Monday notified 92,000 fresh U.S. troops to prepare for rotation to
Iraq over a two-year period beginning in mid-2006, but cautioned that the number did not signal immediate plans to slash a much-higher U.S. troop level now in that country.

There are currently about 160,000 American troops in Iraq. That total, boosted to help security for elections in October and December, is above the usual "baseline" level of about 138,000 U.S. troops stationed there.

President George W. Bush, whose plunge in popularity at home has been partly because of growing U.S. casualties in Iraq since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, is under heavy pressure to make cuts in American forces there.

But Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have stressed that any U.S. troop reductions will depend on the Iraqi security forces' ability to take over defense of their country from insurgents and foreign fighters.

[goclark]

1. When was the last time GW was in Iraq? nt

[opihimoimoi]

2. Was it that long...02? ThanksGiving? Serving Plastic Turkey?

[Zynx]

3. That was '03.

[laugle]

4. I didn't think they had 92,000 FRESH troops,

I guess GW idiot needs some FRESH BLOOD. He hasn't gotten his fill yet. Sociopathic vampire!!!

[AndyTiedye]

5. They are "Fresh" In that They Are Not Already In Iraq

Either that or they're starting up the DRAFT and being very quiet about it.

[laugle]

6. I know what Fresh means but I didn't think

they had that many troops to send, since they seem to have needed most of our national guard over there. Maybe someone knows the current count?

[AndyTiedye]

8. They Might Be Changing the Meaning of "Fresh"

Some of them might still be on the plane home from their last tour.

More likely, they are going to MIHOP up another "terrorist attack"
and use that as a pretext to start up the draft.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Might be coming in from those overseas bases being closed....

all over the world!

Article from 2002....

http://www.military.com/MilitaryReport/0,12914,MR_Rumsfeld_123002,00.html
Rumsfeld: Overseas Bases Could Be Closed

Stars and Stripes reports that overseas installations will be on the table when Defense Department officials discuss base closures in the coming year, according to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Speaking to reporters, Rumsfeld answered an emphatic "yes" when asked whether facilities outside the United States might be part of the fifth round of base realignments and closures, or BRAC, in 2005. The Pentagon has gone through four previous BRAC rounds, in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995, during which defense officials picked 97 major domestic bases for closure, 55 major bases for realignment and 235 minor installations to be either closed or realigned. Stating that excess infrastructure is costing the Defense Department untold billions that could be better spent on modernization, Rumsfeld wanted to do a fifth BRAC in 2002. But Congress put off the politically painful process until 2005. Rumsfeld did not offer specifics about which overseas bases might be on the chopping block, but he did indicate that facilities in both Europe and the Pacific Rim would be part of the discussion. For a complete installation guide, see

Page to the bottom to see list of military bases listed by overseas locations....
http://benefits.military.com/misc/installations/Browse_Location.jsp

[Neil Lisst]

7. very sad

fresh troops to a war that should never have been

[thebigidea]

9. lying douchebags. Remember when we didn't need more than 130k?

remember when the extra thousands were "temporary?"

[LaPera]

11. How are they going to spin it just in time for the 2006 elections?

That they are bring troops home?