[RowansDad]

Well, that didn't take too long....

"The Pentagon has approved a request by the new U.S. commander in Iraq for an extra 2,200 military police to help deal with an anticipated increase in detainees during the Baghdad security crackdown, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

***

"Gates said that the request for extra MPs is in addition to the 21,500 combat troops that President Bush is sending for the Baghdad security plan, along with 2,400 support troops.

"Gordon England, the deputy defense secretary, told Congress this week that the number of required support troops could reach 7,000.

"That's a new requirement by a new commander," Gates said of the request for more MPs by Gen. David Petraeus, who assumed command in Baghdad last month. He added that there were other troop requests still being considered in the Pentagon; he gave no specifics."

From:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030800170.html

One has to wonder why these folks weren't considered in the first place. My hunch is that there still aren't enough dependable Iraqi security forces.

 

[RowansDad]

In addition....

Buildup in Iraq Needed Into '08, U.S. General Says

"The day-to-day commander of American forces in Iraq has recommended that the heightened American troop levels there be maintained through February 2008, military officials said Wednesday.

"The White House has never said exactly how long it intends the troop buildup to last, but military officials say the increased American force level will begin declining in August unless additional units are sent or more units are held over.

"The confidential assessment by the commander, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, reflects the military's new counterinsurgency doctrine, which puts a premium on sustained efforts to try to win over a wary population. It also stems from the complex logistics of deploying the five additional combat brigades that are being sent to Iraq as part of what the White House calls a "surge" of forces.

"In fact, for now, it is really more of a trickle, since only two of the five brigades are in Iraq. The American military is stretched so thin that the last of the brigades is not expected to begin operations until June."

More here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/wa...gewanted=print

 

[RowansDad]

U.S. commander says force alone won't end Iraqi violence

"The new American commander in Iraq said Thursday that military force alone would not end violence without political reconciliation and said U.S. troop reinforcements would probably stay "well beyond the summer."

"The commander, General David Petraeus, at his first news conference since he took command last month, said it was "critical" that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite, engage some militant groups in peace talks to end the bloodshed threatening to tear Iraq apart.

"There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency of Iraq," he said."

More here:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/08/news/iraq.php

 

[RowansDad]

The generals will always want more.....

US general wants more troops for volatile province

"The U.S. commander for northern Iraq has asked for more troops to clamp down on insurgent attacks and sectarian violence in the volatile province of Diyala, he said on Friday.

"Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon said he had moved additional forces from his own area into Diyala and requested extra troops from elsewhere in the country from Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander of day-to-day operations in Iraq.

"Could I use more forces in Diyala? No question about it and I'm in discussions about it with Gen. Odierno as he attempts to balance the requirements in Baghdad," Mixon told reporters at the Pentagon by videolink from Iraq."

From:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09385699.htm

 

[RowansDad]

Bush Iraq plan costs begin to balloon

"The Bush plan called for sending 21,500 extra U.S. combat troops to Iraq - mainly to Baghdad - with the last of five brigades arriving by June. The estimated price tag was $5.6 billion. Officials have refused to say exactly how long it would last, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates had suggested that it could be over by fall.

"In recent days a different picture has emerged.

"The total number of troops required for the plan, while still uncertain, is climbing. When Bush announced the boost of 21,500 combat troops, the Pentagon said still others would be required to go with them in support roles. Its initial estimate of 2,400 support troops has doubled and may go higher still.

"The cost also is rising. Administration officials conferred with lawmakers this week about an extra $1 billion, on top of the original $5.6 billion. The actual cost depends on how long the troop reinforcement is sustained."

From:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...aq-costs_N.htm

 

[RowansDad]

Additional Troop Increase To Iraq, Afghanistan Approved

"President Bush approved 8,200 more U.S. troops for Iraq and Afghanistan on top of reinforcements already ordered to those two countries, the White House said Saturday, a move that comes amid a fiery debate in Washington over the Iraq war.

"The president agreed to send 4,700 troops to Iraq in addition to the 21,500 he ordered to go in January, mainly to provide support for those combat forces and to handle more anticipated Iraqi prisoners. He also decided to send a 3,500-member brigade to Afghanistan to accelerate training of local forces, doubling his previous troop increase to fight a resurgent Taliban.

***

"The deployments underscore the challenges facing the United States in both countries and further stretch an already strained military. In Iraq particularly, the moves could fuel suspicions that a troop increase initially described as a temporary "surge" may grow larger and last longer than predicted."

From:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...001397_pf.html

Ya think?

 

[RowansDad]

How widespread is this I wonder?

The Army is ordering injured troops to go to Iraq

"This is not right," said Master Sgt. Ronald Jenkins, who has been ordered to Iraq even though he has a spine problem that doctors say would be damaged further by heavy Army protective gear. "This whole thing is about taking care of soldiers," he said angrily. "If you are fit to fight you are fit to fight. If you are not fit to fight, then you are not fit to fight."

"As the military scrambles to pour more soldiers into Iraq, a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Ga., is deploying troops with serious injuries and other medical problems, including GIs who doctors have said are medically unfit for battle. Some are too injured to wear their body armor, according to medical records."

From:
http://www.salon.com/news/2007/03/11/fort_benning/