CNN: U.S. could send more troops to Iraq (15,000 more)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/24/iraq.main/index.html

U.S. military planners are preparing to send possibly as many as 15,000 additional ground troops to Iraq if the level of violence increases, CNN has learned.

That word comes as nearly 100 people were killed in insurgent attacks in five Iraqi cities Thursday.

The frequency and intensity of attacks against coalition forces, Iraqi officials and civilians have increased in recent weeks as the June 30 date for the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq nears.

In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Thursday, Gen. George Casey -- who will soon take over as the commander of coalition forces -- said U.S. Central Command is working on contingency planning for increased violence.

[truhavoc]

1. Do we have 15,000 left in Afghanistan to shift over?? n/t

[Florida_Geek]

2. No from North Korea

funny how that has been in the news the last couple days. :(

[Mizmoon]

6. Maybe that's why South Korea is sending troops to Iraq

We may have threatened to pull most of our troops out of S Korea for ME duty if they didn't.

That was my first suspicion anyway.

[meisje]

3. If they expected the increase in attacks

Why aren't the troops not already there?

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. I had the same thought

For months they've been saying the attacks would increase has we got closer to the hand over. So now they decide to send more troops? Too late suckers.

[Darranar]

4. Didn't they say that they wouldn't? n/t

[markses]

5. Are you fucking kidding me?

Ay yay yay. This has got to stop.

[flaminbats]

7. different General, more troops, billions more of U.S. tax dollars...

problem solved! :crazy:

[Fleshdancer]

8. shit.

my brother was suppose to go to Afghanistan this month (he's already been to Baghdad). I wonder if this means his plans will be changing. I need to call him ASAP.

[delete_bush]

9. Here's how to get new recruits

I've had it way past here with Oxy Rush, Insanity, the diminutive weiner, Michael the Effeminate Medved, Dick F'ng Cheney, Bugman Delay, Hume, Will, Krystal, Wolfowitz, Perle, you all know the list.

Let's up the age for enlistment to say 60, get these brave warriors to form, oh, I don't know, say company "C" for chickenhawk, and let them serve their country they love so damn much and at the same time save us all from liberalism.

I'm sure they could find a spot for them driving hummers or whatever. Annthrax could be the company pin up thingy. Or maybe their C.O. as I'm sure they've all had wet dreams about serving under her or him or it.

And then all of their dittoheaded dimwit followers could enlist and ship out with them.

I'd even try to get one of our local on air fascists to enlist, but he's already stated when pressed about his lack of service that he would love to go but he's not about to leave his microphone lest someone like Al Franken take it over. I kid you not.

To quote Mike Malloy, "have I told you lately how much I hate these people?"

[cliss]

10. Do they even have 15,000?

They have tapped everyone out. They're not even letting troops who have done their tour of duty (which was extended already) go home. They're hanging on to them and refusing to let them leave.

I believe it's called stop-loss. True. It's their Loss. And they're unable to stop it. = the troops want out. That's why RumsFailed went to Bangladesh 2 weeks ago to beg for help.

They're absolutely out of their minds.

[Miss Authoritiva]

11. Wonder what kind of shape these guys are in?

"The category is distinct from regular Reserve troops because they do not perform any military service during the year, yet are still eligible to be called to service."

How long will it take to retrain these people? You can't just call up these people as MPs and infantrymen, jab them with vaccinations, and ship them over.

Chum buckets.

[teryang]

12. This is somewhat misleading, what they really mean

...is that they are going to increase the troop level in Iraq by 15,000.

Many more tens of thousands of forces will have to be found somewhere to replace the 130,000 already over there, who will need to be rotated out for a well needed rest.

[Ganja Ninja]

13. This is going to go on until the troops in the field revolt.

We are almost tap city when it comes to reinforcements. Without a draft we aren't going to be able to relive these guys any time soon. We needed a draft 12 months ago in order to provide relief for troops today. If we started the draft today we couldn't put fresh troops in the Field for at least 9 months to a year. Any sooner and we would be sending in green troops to be slaughtered. If I were in the army and on stop loss I would seriously consider just flat out refusing to move when ordered. This is got to be killing moral.

[llmart]

16. Bingo!

"Without a draft"

There you have it. There will be a draft and then you'll really see the uproar. All those people who aren't paying attention to the bodybags and casualties will suddenly perk up and become interested when their little Johnny or Susie is forced to serve.

[hatrack]

15. They'll need lots of flower-sweepers for the June 30th parade

But really, the Iraqis will have full sovereignty! Really! They will! Pay no attention to those troop transports and C-130s!

[ElectroPrincess]

17. Yes, all hell will break loose on the battlefield after the election IF

Bush wins four more years. Then the wheels come off and they really dig in with a vengeance. They didn't build that stadium size Embassy in Iraq for nothing. Increased tax payers dollars to Halliburton, the draft reinstated, Negroponte's Death Squads. They've already reportedly moved in *heavy weapons* around each major Iraqi city. Guess that will muss up their precision strikes when the Neo-Con bastards in charge take out whole blocks. This is going to get ugly.

Beginnings of Revisionist History: Vietnam's Tet Offensive (the turning point for support of the Conflict) is being hailed as a great victory for our side ... the AIE and PNAC lament, "if we only would have pushed through, why, Vietnam would be a flourishing democracy. But those bad old left wing commie protesters wouldn't allow us to do what's right."

I don't listen to RushBo. - but a couple of Fundy's on CSPAN referred to the entire Democratic Party as "The Enemy Within." Having been a person who's often interacted with (worked for) the radical right wing, beyond a Rush talking point, viewing Democrats as "evil" and "the enemy" is a pervasive belief within their ranks. We have to fight them point-for-point like James Carville. Don't let one little slight slide past their nasty personal attacks. Every progressive person must register and vote these "War Criminals" out of Officer> Why? Because THIS Presidential Election will decide if America continues to function under a Democratic Republic (albeit Republican tainted) or "let go" and allow BushCo. to establish a demented form of Neo-Con Totalitarianism.

The right wing hate us so much it is almost pathologic. Please know that and show no mercy toward countering their inane arguments. Dammit, when are we going to get our pink tutu Senate Leader, Tom "can't we all just get along" Dashelle OUT of that position? We need an intelligent scrapper as our Democratic Senate Leader. ;)

Oh sh*t! I digress. <blush>

[average_american]

18. This is what happens

When they go into a major invasion without the three P's: Proper Prior Planning. I didn't agree with them going at all... but heck, I'm just a voter, right?

The troop strength required after 6/30 is only going to escalate further. Keeping that country stable is going to be a nightmare. The June 30th handover is really only symbolic anyway, it had to happen before the election to cover GWB's hiney.

The troops that are going into Iraq now shouldn't be coming from North Korea. They should be coming from less threatened nations like Germany, France, Italy and the UK. It doesn't make sense for us to maintain a presence there anyway, we could save billions shutting those bases down and not have to continue stop-loss or instill the draft to get us through Iraq.

But geez, that would make sense. So did not going in the first darn place. But heck, what do I know? I'm just a voter.

[newyawker99]

19. Hi average_american!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: