U.S. to Expand Military Force in Iraq to highest levels of the entire war

[mdhunter]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20041201/D86N5LPO0.html

Surely on account of how well things are going...

[NVMojo]

1. the media keeps forgetting this is an invasion and occupation not a war!

[Ima]

2. from link

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is expanding its military force in Iraq to the highest level of the war - even higher than during the initial invasion in March 2003 - in order to bolster security in advance of next month's national elections.

The 12,000-troop increase is to last only until March, but it says much about the strength and resiliency of an insurgency that U.S. military planners did not foresee when Baghdad was toppled in April 2003.

Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez, deputy operations director of the Joint Staff, told reporters Wednesday that the American force will expand from 138,000 troops today to about 150,000 by January.

The previous high for the U.S. force in Iraq was 148,000 on May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared that major combat operations were over and most soldiers thought the war had been won. The initial invasion force included thousands of sailors on ships in the Persian Gulf and other waters, plus tens of thousands of troops in Kuwait and other surrounding countries.

[MichiganVote]

4. And in a month they'll be back before Congress asking for more $$

[llmart]

5. Oh, yeah, I believe that....

it'll only last until March. Yeah, right. Suckers. Once you get shipped out you ain't comin' back anytime soon.

VietNam redux.

[SmileyBoy]

3. "Mission Accomplished"???

*PBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBTTTTTTTTTT*

[PurityOfEssence]

6. 'cuz we're winning.

Loose the hounds!

[Chipper Chat]

7. Honey, I feel a draft.....or.....

"Read my lips...no new drafts"

[Moderator]

8. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1036001