Gates says Iraq troop surge only starting to bite (AFP)

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Gates says Iraq troop surge only starting to bite

by Jim Mannion
43 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said
Saturday that a troop surge in Iraq is only starting to have
its full impact and that it is too soon to tell whether
conditions will be ripe by September for decisions on US
force levels.

The US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, said
that the latest troop reinforcements to arrive in theatre
had enabled the military to begin major operations against
Al-Qaeda rear-bases outside the capital.

"While I indicated yesterday that I think we'll see some
trends and be able to point in some directions by September,
the full impact of the surge is really just beginning to be
felt," Gates said.

Gates has held out the possibility of US troops reductions if
the surge succeeds in calming a wave of sectarian violence in
Baghdad by September, but he was more cautious Saturday
during a brief unannounced visit to Baghdad.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070616/pl_afp/iraqusmilitarygates_070616172203

[acmavm]

1. Oh yeah, I'll be sure to take old Bob Gates word for this.

:sarcasm:

[TwilightGardener]

2. Thus, they get a "do-over"--ignore the last (unsuccessful) 5 months!

We've reset the timer! NOW the game is on! All those guys that died, all those Iraqis, all that violence, all that failure--ignore it! We weren't playing for real then--we are now!

[aquart]

3. Bite whom?

And what's that missing from your ass?

[PurityOfEssence]

4. I believe that would be "the big one"

Man, these guys are tone-deaf.

[SunDrop23]

5. ripe by September...2009?

[Sparkly]

6. I thought they attributed the recent casualties to the surge...

As in, more people there, more people to be killed.

Now they're saying the surge is just beginning? :crazy: