Hopes dim for cutting U.S. forces in Iraq

[ECH1969]

Pentagon officials speaking anonymously said a recent surge in violence there has dampened hopes that force levels can be cut anytime soon.

The expectation now is that U.S. force levels will remain the same for the foreseeable future, according to a senior military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another Pentagon official said that with violence continuing in Iraq, the current number of American troops would likely be maintained at least through the end of 2006.

About 2,000 soldiers from a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division are expected to head to Iraq this spring or summer as trainers for the Iraqi security forces. That deployment could slightly boost the total number of U.S. forces.

Andrew Krepinevich, a retired Army officer and defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said that now is not a good time to contemplate force reductions in Iraq.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/iraq/bal-te.troops04mar04,0,3026542.story

[Why Syzygy]

1. There is ALWAYS

a "recent surge in violence". Strawman.

[onehandle]

2. More accurate headline----->

Hopes dim for cutting U.S. forces in Iraq

[VegasWolf]

3. Actually I think the chances are getting a hell of a lot brighter. The

original Bushco plan was to reduce by a token number of 20 - 30 thousand troops while leaving the bulk of the troops to protect Cheney's oil pipelines. With everything going to hell, sooner rather than later, the American public will finally wake up to the deaths and dismemberment of their children and demand that Bushco end this oil war.

[young_at_heart]

4. Feeling more and more like Vietnam

From a famous song in 1966:

"It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound,
Everybody look what's going down"

The next stanza about paranoia is especially relevant these days!

[karynnj]

5. For what it;'s worth - Buffalo Springfield

That song sounds more ominous today than it did in 1966. Great song. Amazing how well if fits today as well as then.

The first verse (from memory - so hopefully correct)

"Battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I have to beware"

My family and I visited Israel and Eqypt in the late 90s and found it hard to get used to the soldiers with guns standing silently in the street. I never ever thought I would see that in the US. It is eerie to get off the NJ train at Penn Station and sometimes see soldiers. Although it changes nothing in my actual behavior - I do whatever I planned to do, but their presence does have an emotional impact. An increase of seriousness of the perceived risk. That this was often done to intentionally raise the fear level in 2004 is absolutely sickening.

[wookie294]

6. There's an upsurge in violence in many countries

How come our troops aren't fighting "evil" in Kashmir? Nepal? Columbia? Sudan? Or the other dozen countries that have a lot of violence? Has Bush saved the world yet? LOL

[grytpype]

7. So much for the exit strategy.

By the way, those of you who think Bush is pleased with this and that this was his plan all along, you are fucking nuts.

[cliss]

8. How will this affect the elections in November?

Can anyone doubt this is going to Kabosh the Republican party? When the voters go to the ballot boxes in November, they are going to think about what has happened to this country.

We've speculated here on the DU that Bush would draw down the numbers of troops in Iraq, just to save his ass in the mid-term elections. Then, he would probably send them right back again.

But if they have to INCREASE the numbers and violence starts escalating, count on Americans to say "no more", "we've had it".

Now, the Repubs are going to try to rig the election again. But they can only do that if their margin is small. NOT if it's 80% - 20% like it is now.

[Roland99]

9. 7,000 Iraqi CIVILIANS killed in 2005 alone (by icasualties.org)

That's an equivalent to 84,000 killed in the US.