Am I the last person to figure this out about the surge?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

What it's all about is - boost up the troops - sanitize Baghdad so much that even the Iraqi army can control it - and then pull all those surge troops out so the Repukes can say they are drawing down just in time for the election. In other words build the levels up just so you have some to draw down before Nov 08?

[Buzz Clik]

1. I doubt you're the last one.

Most here at DU haven't figured it out.

[michaz]

2. And don't forget what this means.....

total disregard for the lives of the soldiers that are at the mercy of these Republicans playing this political game!! How many will die so they can try to win an election?

[RC]

3. To say absolution nothing of the Iraqis dieing Baghdad...

Which happens way too often. After all, WE, the United States, are the invaders there. The Iraqis are the victims in bu$h's war..., err, invasion of choice.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

4. That's right - and many have fled to become refugees with no

food nor water.

It's like if your house is very dirty and you clean one room sparkling clean but you have just moved and hidden all the dust and junk in all the other rooms (other parts of Iraq) - Whoever comes in only the living room (Baghdad) thinks everything is just great - but it is not.

[krispos42]

5. Bngo!

"Senator Bedfellow has heard your concerns about Iraq, and is proud to say he has fought for and won 20% troop-level reductions!"



Back to the pre-surge levels!!!

[Warren Stupidity]

6. They can't pull them all out.

Warner's gambit is a token pull out of 5,000 troops. The problem with the surge is that they have not (of course) defeated the insurgency. Instead they have hardened it and made it survivable against a larger troop force. (They also appear to have cut a deal in Anbar Province, but that is another unreported story.) Moving back to the pre-surge 130,000 would likely be a disaster quickly taken advantage of by the insurgents. Of course the other problem is that we can't sustain the 170,000 either. The outlook is bleak. The game plan right now is to hand off a total cluster fuck to the next president. The folks barricaded in the White House are criminals of the worst sort.

[soothsayer]

8. Of course you can. Just leave the 140k bilgewater and horrorburton troops.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. sure and then they can just bilk us out brand new ones for the

Iranian War. (But I'm with you - leave the shit behind)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. You are so right. Whenever you don't tackle root causes and

come up with a policy of kill them one at a time you won't succeed. I remember the last Pentagon report that said there were no funds for peace and reconciliation efforts. Have you ever once heard the words "peace talks" uttered by DimSon?

[GeorgeGist]

7. You give them too much credit ...

and yourself too. The surge is the invitation to attack Iran.