see the difference between susan collins take in iraq & LIEberman's:
"Why We Need More Troops in Iraq
"By Joseph Lieberman
Friday, December 29, 2006; Page A27
"I've just spent 10 days traveling in the Middle East and speaking to leaders there, all of which has made one thing clearer to me than ever:
snip
"In Baghdad and Ramadi, I found that it was the American colonels, even more than the generals, who were asking for more troops.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/28/AR2006122801055.htmlCOMPARE THAT BULLSHIT WITH THIS:
"Sununu declined to say what he thinks about more troops, but one of his colleagues from the Northeast, Maine's Collins, said she was flatly opposed to the idea after discussing it with commanders and Iraqis during a trip with McCain, Graham and Lieberman.
"I don't think the addition of new American troops in a situation plagued by sectarian strife is the answer," Collins said. "I think more American troops will present more American targets."
She said in an interview that she was also influenced by a meeting the senators had with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "The prime minister made it pretty clear that he did not welcome the idea of more American troops," she said. "I would speculate that he recognizes that he needs to take control of the situation, that if he's seen as completely dependent on American troops it's difficult for him to establish his legitimacy."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/31/AR2006123100948_2.html?sub=ARand this from collins' website:
"Needless to say, there was much discussion in all of our meetings – whether with Iraqi leaders, American or British commanders, or rank-and-file troops – about whether or not more American troops are needed. My conclusion is that it would be a mistake to send more troops to Baghdad. Prime Minister Maliki did not welcome the prospect of more American troops and indeed seemed frustrated that he did not have more control over his own troops. One American general told me that a jobs program in Baghdad would do more good than additional troops. And it seems to me that the Iraqis themselves need to step up to deal with the sectarian violence plaguing the Baghdad region. Ultimately, resolving the sectarian violence requires a political, not a military, solution in which the Sunni minority is more fully integrated into the government.
"The one region where an American commander, General Kilmer, did specifically express the need for more troops was in Anbar province. General Kilmer told us that he could use another brigade (about 3,000 troops) or even two to build on the positive developments in the region. I agree with his assessment, but think that a reallocation of troops, rather than an overall increase, could meet his need.
http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=cf6ed7a5-802a-23ad-4465-bb820133b21c
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