U.S. troop level in Iraq expected to hold steady for 'next several months'

[lebkuchen]

“We’re in a good position following the (January) elections, but we have a lot of work ahead to get to our final objective in Iraq,” Casey said.

“We’re actually further along than I thought we’d be at this point,” Casey said. “The level of violence, the level of attacks (against coalition forces), have dropped off significantly.”

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However, Casey said he was “not ready to say” that the elections marked a “tipping point” that will spell a rapid end to the insurgency.

<cut>


“Defeating insurgency takes time,” Casey said. “The average counterinsurgency in the 20th century took nine years.”


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=27622

[Inland]

1. The avg counterinsurgency took nine years to win,,,longer to lose.

[SodoffBush]

2. I would say Iraq is starting to look like Vietnam

but my RW co-worker told me Vietnam didn't have deserts.

[Cocoa]

3. "Dozens of headless and bullet-ridden corpses found in Iraq"

and Casey says we're doing dandy.

Dozens of headless and bullet-ridden corpses found in Iraq

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?
xml=/news/2005/03/09/uiraq3.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/03/09/ixportaltop.html

[Mnemosyne]

4. Saving troops for?

A guy I know, age 21, just signed up. Army. He claims that after basic he will be coming home and going to college with 100% tuition and put on a reserve list. Plus an income of nearly $900 per month. He joined regular Army, not the reserves?

Is this possible? He also claims he will be given choice of going to Iraq. He signed up for infantry.

[Earth_First]

5. The recruiter will tell you ANYTHING you want to hear...

to sign the dotted line.