Pentagon Plans to Send More Troops to Iraq

[flyarm]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050808/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_us_military;_ylt=ArqdIgpXcwznCtwJQ.fT6S4D5gcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Pentagon Plans to Send More Troops to Iraq
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer1 hour, 28 minutes ago

snip:

Anticipating a new burst of insurgent violence, the Pentagon plans to expand the U.S. force in Iraq to improve security for a planned October referendum and a December election.

Although much public attention has been focused recently on the prospect of reducing U.S. forces next spring and summer, defense officials foresee the likelihood of first increasing troop levels.

Lawrence Di Rita, spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, noted Monday that troop levels were raised last January during Iraq's first elections, and then returned to the current level of about 138,000 several weeks later.

"It's perfectly plausible to assume we'll do the same thing for this election," he said, while stressing that no decisions had been made.

snip:

Other officials have said that once the election period has passed and the troop total recedes to the 138,000 level, a further reduction in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 is possible next spring and summer. That could change, however, if the insurgency intensifies or an insufficient number of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces prove themselves battle ready.



snip:


U.S. commanders predict a need for extra troops this fall in Iraq because the insurgents have tended to intensify their attacks when key political milestones approached. If a draft constitution is ready by Aug. 15, as intended, then a national referendum on that charter is to be held Oct. 15, followed by December elections based on the constitution.

Rumsfeld recently mentioned his expectation that insurgent violence will increase in the weeks ahead.

"We can reasonably expect — both in Afghanistan and in Iraq — to see an increase of violence as they continue to move towards their political goals: in the case of Afghanistan, September 18th — the provincial and the parliamentary elections — and in the case of Iraq, the referendum on October 15th for the constitution," he said July 20.

Among the Army units scheduled to deploy to Iraq in coming months is the 101st Airborne Division, which was part of the original invasion force in 2003 and returned home early in 2004, as well as the 4th Infantry Division, which arrived in Iraq shortly after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003. Those two divisions have since been reorganized and now have four combat brigades each, rather than three each.

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On the Net:

Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil

[Joey Liberal]

1. So much for "Mission Accomplished" n.t

[Rosco T.]

2. Where are they going to get them?

Recruiting is shot.
Guard is exhausted.

[texanwitch]

3. Call up some more IRR 's,, give them a few weeks of combat training

and ship them off to Iraq, I know a new batch of letters to people in the IRR did go out a month ago. I know of 6 people who will not go back, Canada or jail but not Iraq.

My friend has a cousin in the navy, right out of boot camp, and he is being trained for 6 weeks of combat and off to Iraq.

There are a lot more warm bodies to be used for cannon fodder.

[demgurl]

4. That is brilliant!

Do you see what they are doing? They can not afford to pull out troops but they have announced they will be pulling out. They are adding in troops so that later they can announce to everyone that they are pulling out x-amount of troops! They will then be back to the amount they have now!!! You watch, I bet that is what will happen.

demgurl