Debate Grows Over Beefing Up US Iraq Force: Military opposes McCain push for thousands more troops

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Debate Grows Over Beefing Up U.S. Force in Iraq
Military Leaders Oppose McCain's Push for Thousands of Additional Troops
By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 17, 2006; Page A17

The debate about how to proceed in Iraq, which in the past few months has focused on withdrawing U.S. troops, now includes serious discussion about adding more forces to the fight.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) repeatedly suggested this week that the United States needs thousands more troops in Iraq, and members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group have discussed similar ideas as they prepare a much-anticipated policy recommendation. Members of Congress raised the concept on Wednesday in hearings with the region's top U.S. military commander.

In a speech last night to Republicans, McCain, who is considering a presidential bid in 2008, reiterated his desire for more troops to solve a "dire" situation.

"Without additional combat forces, we will not win this war," McCain said, describing inadequate U.S. troop numbers to clear insurgent strongholds, stem sectarian violence and train Iraqi security forces. "We need to do all these things if we are to succeed. And we will need more troops to do them."

Military officials and defense experts, however, said yesterday that significantly escalating the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq is largely implausible because it would severely strain the military, would be unsustainable for more than a few months and would offer no discernable long-term benefit....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/16/AR2006111601647.html

[bemildred]

1. Mccain, Military Disagree On Troop Levels

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2006 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials have expressed disagreement with Sen. John McCain's call for more U.S. troops to be sent to Iraq.

McCain, R-Ariz., who has repeatedly said that thousands more troops are needed in Iraq, said Thursday that victory in Iraq hinges on the addition of more troops, The Washington Post reported.

"Without additional combat forces, we will not win this war," McCain said. He said higher numbers of troops were needed to clean out insurgent strongholds, halt sectarian violence and train Iraqi security forces. "We need to do all these things if we are to succeed. And we will need more troops to do them."

However, U.S. military officials have said the addition of more troops would strain the military and be difficult to sustain, the Post reported. They predicted that boosting troop levels would not yield long-term benefits.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_21250324.shtml

[classysassy]

7. Mr McCain

will any of your children be asked to help by putting their lives on line?,didn't think so.

[BootinUp]

2. What does the military know?

Let our political hacks make the call. Yeah thats it. You will take the troops and you will like it!

[leveymg]

3. McCain still thinks we could have won the war in

Vietnam. Just a few more thousand troops.

:eyes:

[tabasco]

4. Well, you know how republicans feel about the US military and its needs.

They volunteered !

FUCK 'EM !!

[buddysmellgood]

5. It's so very hard for them to admit that Bush lost this. He blew it so many times. He is the only

one who ever talked about cut and run...no that is about his only option. What a fuckstick.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. McCain push? Military ought to oppose the bush final offensive!

Right now, 20,000 more troops on top of the nearly 160,000 already on the ground. Oppose that. McCain? Bush!

[jwirr]

8. McCain is grandstanding. He wants the rw to remember that he

wanted to stay the course even though our military leaders know that it will not work. If he gets his way I predict that nothing will change in Iraq and in Jan 2007 we will still be losing and further in debt.

[LynnTheDem]

9. 1. It's not a "war". It never was a "war". INVASION. OCCUPATION.

Not a war.

2. "win" WHAT, exactly?

3. Yes, throwing more troops in worked well in 'Nam.

4. WTF will 20,000 more US troops do other than provide the very angry Iraqi people with more targets?

5. What part of IT WOULD REQUIRE A GENERAL DRAFT does McCain pretend to not understand?