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Today's Must Read
Finally, we have a definition for "surge." From The New York Times:
The day-to-day commander of American forces in Iraq has recommended that the heightened American troop levels there be maintained through February 2008, military officials said Wednesday.
And the number of troops? The administration has admitted the need for 21,500 extra combat troops, plus as many as 7,000 additional support troops (though they'll likely need many more), plus "some 2,200 additional military police," according to the Times. That's a total of 30,700, bringing the total number of troops in Iraq to approximately 160,000.
So there's your "surge."
Now, the Times cautions that this timetable is just "a confidential assessment" by the commander, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and has yet to be vetted by Gen. David H. Petraeus, Defense Secretary Bob Gates and others.
And there are clear consequences:
...if Mr. Bush decides to extend the buildup, the first of the Army brigades to return to Iraq with less than a year at home are likely to do so later this year.“As you move to less than a year, you’re beginning to erode the ability of the service chiefs to produce a ready force,” said a senior Pentagon official...
But, then, maybe that's looking at the situation from the wrong perspective. As a "senior Defense official in Iraq" tells the Times, “There is Washington time and Baghdad time." He continues to make a statement that can be read in about five different ways:
“Some in Washington want it now, and there is reality on the ground in Baghdad. They don’t always match.”
Not the first time that reality in Baghdad hasn't conformed with reality in Washington, for sure.
In any case, the administration needs to make a decision "soon," the Times reports, to make sure the force is kept at that higher level by identifying which units are staying longer or going back earlier.
Note: The Dems seem poised to play out their "Bad Cop" role with regard to Pakistan, making good on Good Cop Cheney's threat.
Comments (16)
oldtree wrote on March 8, 2007 10:32 AM:It has been several years now. Perhaps we can step back and ask what the war has done for us, or Iraqi's, the people in the region.
What are the answers to why we should continue? Where are the reasons listed on paper that justify what is happening?
Does it look to you like a train that is moving so fast toward the end of the line that it can't be stopped? Is it perpetual motion because of the lack of inertia required to slow it down?
hayseed wrote on March 8, 2007 10:42 AM:Bait and switch. The "surge" 21,500 nearly doubles, and we have to ask ourselves the question that comes up everywhere you look in Disaster Inc. (aka the "Bush" Administration): Are they dumb, or are they malicious?
Now we need to ask it about Petraeus and Odierno. These men hold the fates of our troops and the Iraqis in their hands. Do they take their responsibilities seriously? Do they realize that, as leaders of an occupying force, they must do everything possible to protect everybody in the country? Are they gambling with these lives out of loyalty or ambition? Are they telling the truth to us and to themselves?
The plan seems to be more force and more vulnerability in order to co-opt a populace that wants us gone. Even Petraeus doubts that it will work. How will we know if the plan is successful? If the plan fails, will it be Petraeus's and Odierno's fault? If not, who gets the blame?
TheraP wrote on March 8, 2007 10:52 AM:The problem as I see it:
The military have their "orders" and are trying to be loyal soldiers and march forward as ordered.
The civilians ..... hm.... well, they're ordering the troops they profess to care so much about to march forward .... well, it reminds me of the war between Iraq and Iran, when Iran began sending in the kids, who were placed at the front lines, where certain death awaited. Or when the Nazis at the end of the war did that with their own teenagers.
It's a meat-grinder! And the civilians in charge of this believe that with enough resolve the meat will eventually wear out the grinder.
i don't think so....
verbraliton wrote on March 8, 2007 11:00 AM:My word is "sharp" - that's the meat grinder for sure!!!
My word is "grind."
That's Prince's word, too.
Jason wrote on March 8, 2007 11:05 AM:The Democrat's gain NOTHING climbing in bed with bhush/cheeeeny. The Democratic Party MUST sieze the day. GET OUT OF IRAQ! .now. Tell bhush to shut up and sit down. cheeeeny should be investigated in the House and Senate committee's AND IN THE MEDIA responding to the House and Senate investigations. Daylight will be the only thing to drive the proverbial bats out of Washington D.C. Any delay in any of these will only give the Republicon's time to regroup. And if they are allowed to regroup and find their voice, goodbye Democratic majority anything. The Democratic party will be shown to be, in Ann-manhand-Coulter's thought and word, @#$%*!s.
Adam wrote on March 8, 2007 11:06 AM:Wussies. The Republicon's CONTROL the MSM. Therefore they MUST be MADE to explain and defend their wickedness.
Surge is scheduled through February 2008. I imagine at that point it will be too close to the election to play politics with the war so Bush will be forced to just sit tight. After all, it wouldn't be fair to the next Administration to make major decisions about Iraq that they will be forced to clean up. Right? Kick that can, kick that can down the road!
jeffgee wrote on March 8, 2007 11:07 AM:"confidential assessment" = wishful thinking
JoannaOregon wrote on March 8, 2007 11:23 AM:Same as it ever was.
There's ALWAYS a "white" supremacist boyz folly going on some place/time in the World... that's what they do, that's what they are, it's the Manifest Destiny for which they breed themselves... killers, torturers, rapers, thieves... behaviors like that. They'll never stop on their own.
hibiscus wrote on March 8, 2007 11:29 AM:silly. thoughts can't slow down in a vacuum. they'll have to crash into something before they stop.
tomg wrote on March 8, 2007 11:57 AM:it has been said by many before and it bears repeating
definition of insanity is: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
johnnydoughey wrote on March 8, 2007 12:55 PM:Apparently, the death squad killings have gone down since the beginning of the surge. The suicide bombings, however, have not. Since the surge troops are now being housed with the Iraqi military, it leads me to believe that much of the violence and death not involving suicides involves the government's military personnel. As long as we keep a close eye on them (perhaps eventually a one on one ratio), we can lessen the body count of the Iraqi people. Of course, this will only last until:
Arghh wrote on March 8, 2007 2:12 PM:1. Those death squads find a way to turn their attention on our troops or
2. We leave and the animals are allowed out.
Perhaps a few years later we will find an excuse to attack and free the people of Iraq from the axis of evil that has somehow taken over their country.
...American troop levels there be maintained through February 2008...
Then what?
Fritz wrote on March 8, 2007 2:49 PM:hayseed's question about the administration "are they dumb, or are they malicious," can be answered by saying they are not mutually exclusive. In fact these characteristics are often found together, with a large measure of dishonesty added in, generally in pathetic attempts to cover up or spin the disasters their stupidity and maliciousness has caused. Have I perfectly described the Bush administration or what!
Mooser wrote on March 8, 2007 2:58 PM:Thank God for the surge! More than almost anything else, I fear for my family if the troops come home from Iraq. As bad as I feel for the Iraquis, the troops are much better employed on the other side of the world. If they come home (which I doubt) the same methods used on the Iraquis (minus the air raids, probably) will be inflicted on the US populace.
Com-n-sense wrote on March 11, 2007 3:30 PM:And it will get worse.
The real reason we went into Iraq to begin with is because Iraq switched to EURO's for their Petro-dollar.
Iran is doing the same, they're next.
But the real poke in the eye is Saudi Arabia is looking to do the same.
Get ready folks, we're looking for a real economic melt-down of the likes that will make the Great Depression to look not so great after all.
epenisa wrote on January 10, 2008 6:59 AM:Hi all!
Nice work from your side... have a nice time with yoru blog :)
G'night