Article: Kerry sends letter to Rummy

[ProSense]

Brigade may be extended in Iraq
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
48 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Military commanders in Iraq are considering extending the deployment of an Alaska-based Army brigade as part of the plan to increase forces in Baghdad to quell the violence.

Snip...

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in a letter to Rumsfeld, asked him to clarify how many U.S. forces are being sent to Baghdad and whether units in Iraq will have to extend their deployment.

"It is essential that the administration be completely straightforward about the situation in Iraq, particularly when it comes to U.S. troops being put in harm's way," Kerry said.

He said it appears U.S troops "are clearly not standing down as Iraqi security forces stand up."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060726/ap_on_go_ot/us_iraq_troops_3

Iraqi Prime Minister Asking Congress for More Money and Troops for Fight Against Terror

By ANNE PLUMMER
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appealed to Congress Wednesday to press the war in Iraq with money and troops, portraying his country as crucial to the U.S. as a front line in the war on terror and comparing violence there to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Snip...

Without identifying exact amounts, al-Maliki lamented money that has wound up "in the hands of security contractors and foreign companies that operate with enormous profit margins," rather than in the hands of needy Iraqis.

Snip...

His words echoed those of Bush, who frequently asserts that Iraq is a central battleground against terrorism elsewhere, including on U.S. shores, and that the country can be a bulwark for the spread of freedom in the Middle East.

Al-Maliki made a direct connection to the 2001 attacks on the U.S., saying, "Thousands of lives were tragically lost on Sept. 11 when these impostors of Islam reared their ugly head. Thousands more continue to die in Iraq today at the hands of the same terrorists who show complete disregard for human life."

Snip...

Democrats sharply criticized the prime minister for painting a what they said was a "rosy" picture of Iraq and not condemning Hezbollah.

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2239989&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[kerrygoddess]

1. JK's letter to Rummy...

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=3727

[ProSense]

2. Excellent! Thanks for posting!

Lunatics!

[whometense]

3. In full:

July 26, 2006



The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld

Secretary of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000



Dear Mr. Secretary:



The plan announced by President Bush yesterday to deploy additional U.S. forces to Baghdad raises some important questions about the extended U.S. troop presence in Iraq. There is an increasingly widespread perception that the Administration is not being forthcoming with Congress or the American people about Iraq's escalating civil war and the fact that U.S. troops are clearly not standing down as Iraqi security forces stand up. Given the importance of being honest about the situation in Iraq, I urge you to provide clear answers to these questions as soon as possible.



The President said yesterday at his White House news conference with Prime Minister Maliki that the additional U.S. troops being deployed to Baghdad “will come from other areas of the country.” Yet a CNN report on this plan yesterday stated that a “senior Defense Department official said that part of a backup force that had been stationed in Kuwait was heading into Iraq.” There have been other conflicting reports, with some news reports today also indicating that additional U.S. troops will be sent to Baghdad from Kuwait as part of this plan.



It is essential that the Administration be completely straightforward about the situation in Iraq, particularly when it comes to U.S. troops being put in harm’s way. In the interest of setting the record straight, please provide clear answers to the following questions:



1. Is it true that additional U.S. troops are currently being deployed to Iraq from Kuwait, and if so, how many?

2. Are troops from Kuwait now being sent to Baghdad, or will they be replacing troops from other areas that are being sent to Baghdad?

3. Is the deployment of additional troops from Kuwait part of the plan announced by the President yesterday?

4. Can you state unequivocally that this plan will not result in an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq?

5. Will this plan lengthen the deployments of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq?

6. How will you measure the security situation in Baghdad, and what conditions will allow for these additional U.S. troops to be removed?

7. What does this mean for the Pentagon’s reported plan to begin withdrawing American troops from Iraq this year?



Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to receiving your responses to these questions as soon as possible.



Sincerely,



John Kerry