Reuters: Pentagon could boost Iraq troop increase by 3,000

[Eugene]

Pentagon could boost Iraq troop increase by 3,000
06 Feb 2007 15:42:47 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon could boost the number of additional forces
being sent to Iraq, adding as many as 3,000 troops to the 21,500 being deployed under
the president's war plan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday.

Gates and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the
total number of additional forces being sent to Baghdad and Anbar province could increase
by 10 percent to 15 percent.

"We think the number is going to be around 21,500," Gates told a Senate panel. "But it
would not be more than 10 percent more -- 10 to 15 percent."

That would amount to about 3,000 troops.

Pace said the additional personnel would support the troops being sent to secure Baghdad
and Anbar.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06391871.htm

[babylonsister]

1. Anyone else sick to death of being lied to? nt

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. How odd! I saw a report that it would be about double to support

the "surge". I don't recall which agency it was from, but the report was on CNN last week and it said that another 20K (give or take) will be required for support. So, if Gates is to be held to his word then they are staying the course with a Plan for Failure by not supporting the troops with what's required.

[neoblues]

3. And that's only 3 or even 4 "orders of magnitude"...

too small to be significant (as in an increase of 3,000,000 (3 million) to 30,000,000 (30 million) might make a difference; and then only temporarily and at more than fantastic cost).

In any case, an addition of 3000 is fully, and completely, 3000 more than is reasonable--and won't make the tiniest bit of difference in the outcome.

What puzzles me is why they haven't called for the 'D' word (Draft); how else are they going to support their imperial ambitions? Perhaps they think forcing War with Iran will give them the excuse needed to implement the draft. It seems more and more that we should be even more exceedingly disturbed at Bush's antics.