Pentagon May Have to Reduce U.S. Forces in Iraq -CBO (By half)

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030903/ts_nm/iraq_congress_forces_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration may have to cut U.S. troops in Iraq by more than half to keep enough forces to face other threats, a congressional agency said on Tuesday in a report that fueled calls for more international help for peacekeeping in Iraq.

The Congressional Budget Office (news - web sites) said under current policies, the Pentagon would be able to sustain an occupation force of 38,000 to 64,000 in Iraq long term, down from the existing 150,000 that a number of lawmakers said is not enough to confront the spiraling violence.

Sen. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat who requested the CBO study, said it showed that President Bush's policies in Iraq were "straining our forces to the breaking point."

Byrd, one of Bush's harshest critics on Iraq, also said it showed the administration must formally ask for help in peacekeeping from the United Nations and NATO.

more

[aquart]

1. Oh, my. Have they told George? And Rummy?

[diamond14]

3. here's the Yahoo photo of shrub today, doesn't look like he

cares much about anything....unshaven, needs haircut, shirt looks like shrub slept in it, eyebrow pushed up....high....shrub doesn't care about any of it...shrub is off in his own little world...haunted by the voices of those he massacred....

[Gman]

7. See what daily bottles of Jack Daniels will do to you by his age?

Is this guy the picture of an alcoholic or what?

[fizzana]

11. Ever since that cartoon of * morphing into Alfred E. Newman

I can't look at him without thinking of Alfred E.

[kainah]

2. I've got a solution

Just go to other countries and hold out those green cards & send them in ASAP. After all, if they're just green card holders, we don't need to even worry about training them because if they get killed, big deal............

Or.... We could bring 'em home now!!

[TomNickell]

6. Naah, ask the French for help....

I'm sure they are just waiting for the chance to bail shrub out.

[Warren Stuart]

4. If they cut the forces by half,

The casualities will rise by twice. Bring em all home!

[TomNickell]

5. Reserves and re-enlistment....

It would be interesting to see an analysys of enlistment obligations of reservists and regular army people. It's a good bet that few are going to voluntarily enlist in either regular army or reserves so long as it involves a long stay in Iraq. And those with obligations running out ain't a'goin to re-up.

Sometime over the next year, or two, there is likely to be a real crunch.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Imagine the military this fool is going to leave the Dem President

in '05! If he wasn't going to leave this country in ruins screwing all of us I'm starting to think we should just let this fool and his neocons have it for 4 more years.

Can we move to Canada?

[bushisanidiot]

16. What I'm afraid of is

a lame duck AWOL in Nov. & Dec. '04. When the idiot in chief get's crushed by the tidal wave they'll be pretty ticked and ready to set things up for the new president (and america) to get screwed. I predict sore, sore losers..

[Turbulence]

8. fueled calls for more international help for peacekeeping

oooo weeee. any takers on that call for more international help. Has kofi reconsidered... or is just some fly by night democratic dissented the neoconcowboys are all too arrogant to take seriously. something tells me bush is going to have to crawl on his knees, because he did succeed at one thing. He has "brought em on" and one might ask if any kind of force will serve to restore order now.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. You know what's coming next, don't you? The universal military draft...

...and two bills have been sitting in committee since January 2003. They are as follows from the parent link of:

<http://thomas.loc.gov/>

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

House of Representatives
HR 163 IH:

Title: To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors: 13

Related Bills: S.89

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2003 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Executive Comment Requested from DOD.

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:32:./temp/~c108FFXROv::>

======================================
Senate
S.89:

Title: A bill to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Hollings, Ernest F. (introduced 1/7/2003)

Cosponsors: (none)

Related Bills: H.R.163

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2003 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:31:./temp/~c108FFXROv::>

[prolesunited]

12. Not before the 2004 election

They'll string it out as long as they can and if they pull another coup, we'll definitely see a draft. There will be no other way to sustain our engagements.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

13. Here it comes... Round Three.

The Bush administration may have to cut U.S. troops in Iraq by more than half to keep enough forces to face other threats

Would those be "threats" like Syria, Iran or North Korea?

They are trying to pull troops out of Iraq for the next war, just like they pulled troops out of Afghanistan for Iraq. I fear round three is on the way...

[Dhalgren]

14. How much war can this country sustain?

I know we could sustain an all-out world war, if the whole country goes to a wartime footing, but will it? Do the neocon Imperialists believe that the people will get behind the Emperor and support additional, on-going wars? Will they? I am no longer sure that more war would be a negative for the Emperor. Rove may think that more war will ensure Bush's election come next fall. He may be right.

[bushisanidiot]

17. Don't forget the serious threat in Venezuela

Gonna have to send troops to guard that pipeline..

[VolcanoJen]

15. MODERATOR MESSAGE: "Official" Thread

Although the thread started by bluestateguy was posted first, this discussion contains more responses, and also has a better and more newsworthy link. Let's keep our discussion about this topic consolidated in this thread, then, for the sake of continuity.

To read more discussion on this topic, please see bluestateguy's thread, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=94317

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator

[underpants]

18. See Wolfie and Rummy were RIGHT after all!

that's the spin on this, if it sees the light of day.