McCain says more forces may be needed in Iraq

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Leading Senator John McCain questioned whether even the planned increase in US forces in Iraq (news - web sites) could provide enough security for January 30 elections, and declined to endorse the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.


AFP/FOX News/HO Photo



The Pentagon (news - web sites) last week announced plans to restore US forces to their highest level since the invasion, but McCain said even 150,000 troops may not be enough to provide security for the first polls since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s ouster.


"It probably isn't, but the problem that we have here is that the Pentagon has been reacting to initiatives from the enemy rather than taking initiatives from which the enemy has to react to," the Arizona Republican senator told the "Fox News Sunday" program.


"The Pentagon has reluctantly, obviously, gradually made some increases," he said.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041205/wl_mideast_afp/us_iraq_politics_mccain&cid=1514&ncid=1480

[colonel odis]

1. goodness. is that a draft i feel in here? perhaps they should

check over at free republic first. lots of gung-ho young men and women who'd gladly do their part and join the (one) armed forces.

[sam sarrha]

2. yea they need more people to carry body bags and coffins.. and to dig mass

graves for all the civilians we are killing.

[PatrioticOhioLiberal]

3. Duh!

Gee, McCain is such a whiz don'tcha think?

Late to the party on anything of true importance as usual.

Wes Clark was saying that before the dang illegal war started.

McCain likes to get his "face time" on all the networks with his "profunditry".

His latest "maverick" move is threatening baseball over the steroid scandle...he's a hack.

Just MHO of course.

[BenDavid]

17. PatrioticOhioLiberal, you get an

Aumen....Folks have a tendency to be so influenced by the media. John McCain was a media creation and now we see that anytime he thinks there is something news worthy the media will fall all over themselves to report it. POL, you are right. Wesley Clarke was saying this long before McCain but then again Clarke was not the darling of the puppy press. Myself, I do not classify McCain as a hero as so many do. What did he do heroic? Hell, I believe it was more self preservation more than anything. But that is me.

[NYC Liberal]

4. Gee, ya think?

We were only told that before the invasion ever happened! But Dummy Rummy wouldn't hear of it.

[still_one]

5. maybe mccain should go

he supported the asshole

[msanthrope]

6. Ya' think John??? Really, I'm starting to feel a draft in here.....n/t

[Solly Mack]

7. way back in the beginning it was established that some 300-500k

troops would be needed to "hold" Iraq.

Franks knew it...but he caved and went with Bush Inc.

Even Thomas White knew it...and said as much. As did Shenseki.

Anyone see the CNN show on Rumsfeld? It was pretty good. It showed what the plan actually called for in troop strength and how Rumsfeld/Cheney said it could be done with less.....so...here we are.

[NYC Liberal]

10. Right, because they wanted to use more of

those "precision" weapons...that weren't so precise.

[bemildred]

8. Bring them home, asshole.

There is no feasible number that will do the job.
Cut your losses now.

[Cocoa]

9. but McCain supported the guy that lied about it

both candidates knew they were going to raise the troop levels, but only one told the truth about it, and McCain knows it, and McCain supported the liar. :puke:

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Better get out that barrel-scraper, Naziboy

Maybe you can make a deal with guys in prison or dig up some greasy clause to suck more Vietnam-era vets back into your cauldron of greed.

It's surprising that they haven't used the indentured servant schtick more by recruiting ferriners who want to emigrate to America. It would be the perfect monarchic move, wouldn't it?

[llmart]

12. McCain's an asshole.....

who allows BushCo to trash his military record and them kisses Bush's ass during the campaign. What a piece of shit he is. He sold his soul just like Colin Powell did.

[lebkuchen]

16. took the words out of my mouth

McCain won't be heard from much anymore. He's been used and abused. Now he's a throw-away.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. I hear Jenna and Barbi have nothing to do

especially since the campaign is over and daddy gave them all that money to shut up and look pretty.

[wildmanj]

14. mccain says

calling all chicken hawks---come forth and do your duty

[Harlan James]

15. Iraq Is The Albatross Around The GOP's Fat Neck

In order to stave off a military disaster the Republicans are now forced to advocate increasing troop levels in Iraq. Something that will only cause a temporary relief to the situation, and be inevitably followed by the need to bring in more.

Like Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon in Vietnam, the Bushites are now faced with the prospect of administering over a military defeat in a war we did not need to fight, a nightmare for politicians who made their names as being unwilling to compromise with our nation's perceived enemies.

The Bush Family Vanity War in Iraq is now a full-blown tragedy, and it is only going to get worse.