Iraq troop buildup put into action

[frogcycle]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-surge18mar18,1,1488139.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=1&cset=true

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ
Iraq troop buildup put into action
A new unit is welcomed by some in a district of Baghdad, but not all.
By Christian Berthelsen, Times Staff Writer
March 18, 2007



BAGHDAD — Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment were rolling out in a convoy of Humvees to check out their new digs at an abandoned school when they found out it wasn't so abandoned anymore: It was filled with children and teachers.

"Someone decided they really don't want us to go there, so they decided to put school back in session," they were informed over the military radio.


...snip...
The 1-28 was ordered to the region just a year after it was formed, less than half the time that a new unit usually has to get up and running. Many of its junior soldiers are straight out of basic training and have yet to even receive the uniform patches that signify they've been deployed.
...snip...

[whistle]

1. So is that our 9,200 extra troops which the military claims is all they can

....muster for the surge?

[frogcycle]

5. yeah, just run 'em through boot camp and ship 'em straight there

I guess it doesn't matter. Combat skills and training don't mean much when you are just getting picked off by snipers or blown up by IEDs. These kids will try like hell to "win hearts and minds" but they will probably burn out before long.

If this had been the approach from day one there just might have been a chance georgie's little colonialist adventure might have actually gone.. well... not as terribly. As the experts said way back when, if the occupying force had been several hundred thousand strong and had been "embedded" like these, AND if the borders had been sealed AND if we had not pulled shit like Abu Ghraib...

too late now though for this to have any significant affect, I think. Just sending lambs to the slaughter.

[Monkeyman]

2. THEY ARE NOT READY FOR COMBAT WITHOUT AIT

Body bags

[southerncrone]

3. So the "SURGE" is a bunch of baby-faced kids! CONTINUALLY DISGUSTING!!!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. Casualties are going to rise.

Poor kids straight out of basic training.

For what, you chickenhawk scum???

[genie_weenie]

6. It's not going to stop

because those in the Federal Gov have no reason to stop it and believe they have every reason to continue our presence.

Republicans want Democrats to go halfway, kind of fighting the increases and money - kind of supporting them, because when we do leave Iraq Republicans can go full bore stab-in-the-back attack on Democrats.

Democrats want the war to hang like an albatross around the necks of the Republicans in the hopes thant when 5000 are dead in Nov 2008, the House, Senate and White House will be solidly in their control.

Most, in power, could give fuck all about troops, american parents, to say nothing of the iraqis.

Edit: to clarify sentences

[CrazyOrangeCat]

7. you're right.

there's probably less than a dozen Dems in Congress who are seriously trying to stop this right now.

"Masters of War" sum up the rest . . .