MSNBC Breaking: Defense Sec. Gates says U.S. military to grow by 92,000 troops

[IDemo]

BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: less than 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON - At a briefing to add details about President Bush's new Iraq strategy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said he would recommend increasing the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years.

On Iraq, Gates said that "failure in Iraq is not an option."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also at the briefing, saying it was imperative for the Iraqi government to "re-establish civil order," particularly in Baghdad.

Gates proposed adding 67,000 Army soldiers and 25,000 Marines, citing an annual increase of 7,000 for the Army and 5,000 for the Marines until the Marines reach 202,000 and the Army is at 547,000 troops.

The Army already has been authorized to boost the number of active-duty soldiers temporarily from 482,000 to a maximum of 512,000, although it has yet to reach that limit.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16576547/

[Deep13]

1. Brrrrrrr.

I feel a draft.

[Tansy_Gold]

Yeah, me too.

Where the hell else are these "troops" gonna come from? Mercenaries?

I'm really beginning to wonder what alternate reality I've stepped into. . . . .


Tansy Gold

[notadmblnd]

9. Pssssst...

I had an interview earlier this week for a position on our local draft board. The Selective Service rep I spoke with told me that I wouldn't be hearing anything for a couple of months and that training may occur as late as September this year. I applied two years ago. Coincidence?:shrug:

[Megahurtz]

47. God.

:wow:

[saigon68]

79. Goody because then "Draft Resistance" can start again

It will be worse this time

People who think this war is bullshit won't be marched off like cattle to slaughter houses

[Akoto]

18. I don't.

Bush can get away with a lot, but unlike this surge, a draft doesn't happen without the approval of Congress. I have more faith in the people we now have, where that's concerned. What politician will want to put their name to a career-destroying vote?

Democrats were elected to make changes that the people wanted. They won't vote in favor of a draft. Republicans have already taken such a political mauling that nothing short of an invasion of the US could let them vote for a draft without their party dying.

If Bush tries to find a way around that, you can bet that's when the impeachment hearings start.

[DixieBlue]

19. Yup. How the hell do you grow something ...

when no one wants to be a part of it?

Perhaps it's time I maim the spouse in some way?

[Monkeyman]

23. Yep only thing they can do. Unless they lower the standards again

[Tight_rope]

57. To what...65 years old and below as well as all handicaps can apply.

The poor have centainly had enough. I think people would rather leave the country then to stay and be forced to fight.

[Canuckistanian]

67. Me too

92,000? That's pretty drafty.

[PretzelzRule]

69. Yep

how the hell else are they going to "grow" the troops? Sea monkeys??

[Just-plain-Kathy]

2. Oh no!

I wonder how many years they can go back on asking past National Guard members?

[havocmom]

25. How ever far they need to go back. Laws and rules mean nothing now.

NOBODY will be getting out on schedule. Anybody who has served recently could be called back. Hell, when they are recalling grandmothers and guys with cancer, along with letters TO DEAD PEOPLE, they will leave no child PERSON behind... but it isn't a DRAFT :grr:

Somebody said the pResident looked like he was being held hostage last night. Yeah, and maybe he FINALLY figured that out. He is being held hostage and kept from the sloth and drunkenness he craves. The troops are being held hostage in a war zone. Anybody who has worn a uniform is about to be taken hostage.

The kidnappers will not stop until WE THE PEOPLE take to the streets in such numbers that no politician fears saying NO MORE MONEY TO DOD, BRING THEM HOME NOW!

[Just-plain-Kathy]

40. You’re right, they’re not calling this a draft

this is slavery. If soldiers who did their time, two and three times and now are asked to go back against their will---it’s slavery.

It's so sad.

[Dr.Phool]

3. Where's he gonna get 'em?

Illegal aliens or a draft?

[sofa king]

36. By further impoverishing the American people.

The poorer we serfs are, the fewer options we have outside of the military.

[Lilith Velkor]

83. We have over 2 million in prison

Think about it.

[xultar]

4. How are they going to trick 100k people to volunteer for that?

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. How large is free republic's membership?

[wakeme2008]

10. ....

:rofl:

[Efilroft Sul]

12. Bwah! Good one!

According to Frei Republik's home page, "Over 200,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic since inception in 1996." Of course, that doesn't mean everyone who registered was a Freeper, nor does it mean they have 200,000 members now. Still, I'm sure all 55 members left at Frei Republik all support the war in Iraq, so Gates should get some help from them.

[xultar]

13. They'd have to use nets and tranqs. Those fuckers won't go near a recruiter.

[phatkatt]

43. Draft freepers?

They can wait outside the basement apartments under elderly women's homes to catch their middle-aged overweight sons with no social skills to exit for their weekly trip to the Circle-C for a six of PBR and a copy of swank magazine.

[llmart]

39. Oh, that's the best post/answer yet..............

good one. Maybe DemCrusher will be first in line???

[Megahurtz]

49. Lol! n/t

[wordpix]

53. bwahahaha

[trogdor]

8. My reaction exactly.

92,000? That's nice, but where are they gonna find 'em? Are they going to start sending recruiters to prison work-release job fairs?

[zann725]

70. These kind of numbers seem to go FAR beyond the Draft.

Truly scarey. :scared:

[Tesha]

82. Just cause the economy to tank.

> How are they going to trick 100k people to volunteer for that?

Just cause the economy to tank.

Bush almost does that when he doesn't mean to; I'm *SURE*
he'll have no problem making it happen if he needs cannon
fodder.

Tesha

[acmavm]

6. Did he say how this will happen? I don't doubt that there will

have to be a draft. They've done everything they could to avoid it. But now they're running out of options and if they keep sending the same people back into the meat grinder they're gonna start running into some hardcore opposition from the troops.

They'd rather have a draft than that.

[heavylynn]

7. We are becoming like N. Korea. Able to feed and sustain a huge military and political core

while the ordinary people are starving. In America's case lots of people (unseen) are starving and the others are being ruined by high credit debt that they will not be able to get out from under just to make their liability payments, keep kids in school, and pay medical bills. We are fast becoming a third world nation because of the hypocritical socialist programs we have to big business, big agri-business, and general subsidies to the very wealthy. We have land and wealth re-distribution upward while criticizing Chavez for socialist wealth re-distribution downward.

[PassingFair]

84. Welcome to DU, Heavylynn!

According to everything I read, the economy is BOOMING!
Why, just LOOK at the STOCK MARKET!! Golly!

Why do you hate America?

:sarcasm:

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Why don't they just cut off funding to the Private Military

and all of those guys will have no where else to go?

Instead, we are training all of these troops, who are bailing out as soon as possible and going to the private companies because the pay is so much better.

[Virginia Dare]

17. That's the whole point...more mercs...

more money in the pockets of the private defense companies. We can't possibly come up with 100,000 more soldiers, but they sure can.

[ShortnFiery]

28. Not necessarily, quality mercenaries don't grow on trees.

If you want them to live through at least a couple of missions, then you must train "the best and the brightest" sociopaths you can find. Yes, getting a listing of parolees may be a good first step but make sure to put the smartest one in charge. :shrug:

Even so, it takes about five to ten years of QUALITY training to produce an SF, SEAL, Recon or Ranger troop, i.e., those who can deal with almost any situation in the killing fields of any country.

Nope. If you want quality, you TRAIN MILITARY people to do such operations. And for Heaven's sake pick your battles carefully so that maybe some of them may return with some sense of humanity and belief that we really do give a damn about the people of these foreign lands.

[saigon68]

80. There are "very few" quality sociopaths or trained killers

Our society unlike Nazi Germany ca 1935- 1945 doesn't encourage or condone massive sociopathy.

It is hard to take the average person off the street
and get him/her to enjoy using a testicle crusher on the genitals of an Iraqi islamic.

There are exceptions (see below)



There are a few in society who love sadism however.

most of these have already enlisted (see below)

[tridim]

42. 100,000 mercs at $200,000/year = $20 billion/year

And that doesn't include overhead or the massive compensation for Blackwater's management.

That's a corporate fascist's wet dream.

[bullimiami]

14. they havent been able to meet the recruiting goals they have now.

[leesa]

15. We have already failed in Iraq. So now what?

[progressivebydesign]

32. Iran. n/t

[catmandu57]

16. Desperation, that's where they're going to come from

People, lids, trapped in desperate, life killing traps, poverty, ignorance, no chance to get out unless you sign Uncle Sam's contract on the dotted line. Even then it's a crap shoot to advancement, if, you manage to come home in one piece.
I expect this to be shot down as a non starter.

[Penndems]

20. Heard this Gates sound bite on CNN this morning

Anybody who thought Bush would stop at sending only 20,000 troops to Iraq either hasn't been paying attention the past six years, or is a member of that twenty-three percent of the population that still supports Junior.

The man has lied about damn near everything since he's been in office. There was no reason to believe the escalated troop levels in Iraq would be any different.

[wordpix]

52. why was this guy confirmed so quickly? Oh, yeah---there was a repuke Congress then

[FreeStateDemocrat]

21. Is there enought reserves and National Guard units left to staff this increase?

[superconnected]

22. 5yrs? I thought dumbshit was out in 2

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. !!

:scared:

[Megahurtz]

50. Eeeks!

:think:

[charlie and algernon]

24. that's 92,000 reinforcements for the Iranian war

and it won't be nearly enough to give us even the smallest of hopes of succeeding there.

[wordpix]

62. the good news is our new DEM Congress isn't buying dumbshit's BS anymore

We're going to believe Maliki's promises THIS time after he's been working hand in hand with the Mahdi army? I don't think so.

[goforit]

86. How the hell are they gonna handcuff these bozos?

[earth mom]

26. I couldn't bring myself to watch * last night but caught a couple of sound bites

and he said something about military and civilians going to serve in Iraq and I got chills up my spine because it sounded like a draft! :scared:

[MGD]

29. Gates to urge boosting military by 92,000

yeah right, this shouldn't be too difficult.


Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:28am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday he would recommend to President George W. Bush increasing the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years for the long-term fight against terrorism.

"The emphasis will be on increasing combat capability," Gates said at a White House news conference to detail Bush's plan for changing course in the Iraq war.

In unveiling his strategy on Wednesday night to send more than 21,000 more troops to fight in Iraq, Bush said a permanent increase was needed for the two services.

The Army, which has had trouble meeting its recruiting goals in recent years, already has been authorized to boost the number of active-duty soldiers temporarily from 482,000 to a maximum of 512,000, although it has yet to reach that limit.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-01-11T143628Z_01_WAT006838_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-TROOPS.xml&src=rss

[acmavm]

30. Every time Gates opens his mouth I have to laugh at the people

who thought Poopy was putting someone who wasn't a war mongering friggin' fool in Rummy's place. That he was trying to inject a little sanity in the position.

I'm laughing again as I type.

[MGD]

34. What do you expect from a Sec. of Defense, a peace mongerer?

They might as well change the name to "Secretary of Offense" though. The only way they'll evevr get another 92,000 soldiers and marines is if the economy completely tanks. All military recruiters know that enlistment rises and falls with the prevailing economic winds.

[acmavm]

35. No, I expect someone of intelligence who had the integrity to

understand that our armed forces are not in the business of protecting the BFEE and Big Oil.

[MGD]

37. That's an awful lot to expect anymore. Whenever I hear anything about our military being a tool

of the corporations like this, I am reminded of my all time favorite political speech, Andrew Jackson's March 4, 1837 farewell address:
"...The distress and alarm which pervaded and agitated the whole country when the Bank of the United States waged war upon the people in order to compel them to submit to its demands cannot yet be for gotten. The ruthless and unsparing temper with which whole cities and communities were oppressed, individuals impoverished and ruined, and a scene of cheerful prosperity suddenly changed into one of gloom and despondency ought to be indelibly impressed on the memory of the people of the United States. If such was its power in a time of peace, what would it not have been in a season of war with an enemy at your doors? No nation but the freemen of the United States could have come out victorious from such a contest; yet, if you had not conquered, the Government would have passed from the hands of the many to the hands of the few; and this organized money power, from its secret conclave, would have dictated the choice of your highest officers and compelled you to make peace or war as best suited their own wishes. The forms of your government might, for a time, have remained; but its living spirit would have departed from it.



http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/jackson/jack~1.htm

[superconnected]

48. Excellent quote.

[progressivebydesign]

31. I'm feeling that draft, as well. Someone close the window. n/t

[latebloomer]

33. I have heard several times

that they are recruiting in places like Peru, promising men that they will become citizens if they survive the military.

Couldn't find it with a very quick google, but did find this item about recruiting immigrants-

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/01/05/18344229.php

[mtnester]

38. So...is he going to pull them out of a hat....

or his ass?

[nitpicker]

44. No. Everyone in uniform gets to serve 8 years.

That is what the enlisted service obligation is. In practice, people generally have an initial enlistment of around four years (give or take) then are allowed to go back to civilian life if they want (while they spend the rest of the four years in the Individual Ready Reserve). However, the services have already resorted to dragging people back in from the IRR. How much simpler it would be for the Army to extend people on active service until the 8 years is up in order to fill its ranks?

[krispos42]

41. "Grow" by 92,000

A joke keeps trying to come out, something about how if you plant enough soldiers maybe more will grow, but that would be a horribly, horribly black joke indeed.

The mental image of Bush with a set of pruning shears seems appropriate, though. Every day, just a couple of snips...

Damn Bush and his advisors to the deepest pits of Hell!

[Earth_First]

45. Question: How to we plan on PAYING for this?

"Goal could cost $15 billion..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16576547

[WindRavenX]

46. wtf? since when does 20K troops=92K troops?

:wtf:

Well, it's start to yell a little louder:

IMPEACH THE PIGFUCKER NOW!

[wordpix]

55. 21,000/yr. x 5 yrs. = 105,000 troops but they're calling it 92,000 so as not to alarm anyone

:eyes:

[WindRavenX]

56. jesus fucking christ

I am...speechless.

How is this not Vietnam, at this point? We're going to be occupying towns and villages!

[saigon68]

81. HMMM Juba the sniper will have lots of new videos

[Megahurtz]

51. All This and

Rangel just has to play with fire by reintroducing his legislation for a Draft.:grr:
FUCK!:argh:

[WindRavenX]

54. yeah, fuck Rangel

Yes, I understand why he's doing it, but he's a goddamned fool for doing it.

GAH. :puke:

[outofbounds]

58. They may try to tempt them

http://regionalhelpwanted.com/BrowseAds/?SN=49 I just found this, scroll down a little. Hello, 20k signing bonus? Thats more than minimum wage for a year. After basic training its one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year right? Oops, forgot about that war thing going on right now.
:sarcasm:

[daleo]

59. When someones says "failure is not an option"

It usually means "failure is certain, but let's call it something else."

[PassingFair]

85. I'm with you....I HATE managers that say that...

as far as I'm concerned, failure is ALWAYS an option.

Anyone who says "Failure is not an option" is an idiot. Always.

[pinniped]

60. There are mercs available from other countrties....

when these extra 92,000 troops don't materialize.

[wordpix]

61. Rice: "We're not going to stay married to a plan that's not working in Baghdad." WTF? What has *Co

been doing for 4 frigging years if not that? :grr:

[SlavesandBulldozers]

68. Condi's not much the marrying type.

I know that by looking at her face. LOL snap.

[katty]

63. I feel a big DRAFT

[Towelie]

64. I feel a draft too, it's making all the tin foil in the thread crinkle.

I had no choice but to laugh at people who swore * would start the draft in 2005 if he was reelected. I'm laughing again, because the notion is, and always has been, absurd. Especially with Democrats running congress now. They're strictly opposed to giving him something like line-item veto, and you people seriously think they'll even entertain the idea of granting him power for CONSCRIPTION?! LOL, wake up and smell the coffee people, the Dems are running things now.

[RestoreGore]

65. They'll promise citizenship to illegals who join?

Or is that why they are in concentration camps now. Being trained?

[wordpix]

71. don't forget the skinheads and other gangs who are "spreading goodwill" in our armed forces

[ryanmuegge]

66. I wonder what their motivation is

For one, how can we even afford this when we're already crippled by debt? This country is so fucked.

Second, why do they want to increase the size of the military? Is it to fight some large-scale resource wars? Maybe it's to control our own citizens' actions in reaction to displeasure to coming economic conditions. I feel like there's something deeper than just the obvious "we want to be able to fight Noth Korea, Iran, and Iraq all at the same time."

[madfloridian]

72. Gates requests 92,000 increase in active forces

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070112-120720-9154r.htm

"Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday that he is asking Congress to expand the active armed forces by 92,000 members to meet the demands of what the administration says will be a "long war" against terrorism.

"We should recognize that while it may take some time for these new troops to become available for deployment, it is important that our men and women in uniform know that additional manpower and resources are on the way," Mr. Gates said at a White House press conference to announce a new Iraq war strategy.

Although an increase in "end strength," as the military's active force is called, is not directly related to President Bush's announced new Iraq strategy, it is an outgrowth of the nearly four-year-old war. The stress of deploying Marine and Army ground forces with little rest back home has begun to tear at the fabric of the 1.4 million active force, senior retired officers said.

The 92,000-troop spike is for ground forces, the busiest combatants in the war on terror."

[madfloridian]

73. Please delete if dupe.

I did a search on Gates, but then saw something posted earlier.

[LynnTheDem]

74. "it is important that our men and women in uniform know additional manpower on the way"

It'll take a minimum of FIVE YEARS.

Ummm...just hang in that quagmire until then!

George w. bUsh; biggest disaster EVER to hit America.

[WindRavenX]

75. Bring. Them. Home.

Stop this madness!

[Mythsaje]

76. What is it with these people

that they can't understand you can't use conventional military tactics to fight a nameless, faceless enemy with no set territory to hold onto?

You use intelligence assets, law enforcement, and elite forces to perform surgical strikes when necessary.

They don't need these additional forces for the WOT...they need them to attack MORE sovereign nations.

They must think we're stupid.

Oh, wait. Of COURSE they do.

[w4rma]

77. Sounds like they want us in Iraq (and elsewhere) for at least five years. (nt)

[Raine]

78. Even that amount won't be enough

if they are serious they need to send at least a half million ... at least.

[ProudDad]

87. The U.S. DOES NOT NEED the bloated military we've got

If this fuckin' government would get out of the war business and start getting into the peace business (Department of Peace anyone), we wouldn't even need the bloated military we're stuck with.

WHATEVER THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE "PEACE DIVIDEND" after the bogus Cold War ended!!!????

I know, I know, bush I then Clinton then the shrub...captives to the military-industrial complex.

==========================

"Approximately 1.4 million personnel are currently on active duty in the military with an additional 1,259,000 personnel in the seven reserve components (456,000 of whom are in the Army and Air National Guard)."

Anyhoo, 92,000 is just a 4.8 percent increase when compared to the bloated military we've been saddled with...