Posted on 07/19/2005 6:04:23 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, July 19, 2005 – A Defense Department report expected to go to Congress soon will address stability and security in Iraq, but won't deliver force-level projections, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters today. "All we can do is repeat the truth. And the truth is that the situation in Iraq and our force levels are going to depend on a variety of variables, and the decisions as to the size of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq will be a function of the conditions on the ground," the secretary said.
Conditions on the ground will reflect the intensity of the insurgency, political progress being made and success in training and equipping Iraqi security forces, Rumsfeld said.
Iraqi security forces are coming into their own, with more than 171,000 now trained and equipped, the secretary said. As their capabilities increase, these forces will take on more responsibility for their own security. It won't happen at all once, he said, but will depend on the security situation in different parts of the country.
The secretary called political progress in Iraq "excellent" and said he's encouraged by the inclusiveness being demonstrated by Iraq's different groups as they build a new government. The crafting of a constitution, referendum on the constitution and national elections "will give added legitimacy to the Iraq government as we go into the next year," the secretary said.
As the Iraqi people see this progress and recognize the role they are playing in it, they will become less tolerant of the violence insurgents and terrorists are spreading throughout the country, Rumsfeld said.
"Increasingly, they will see that they have participated in their own political progress," he said. "And increasingly they will become angered and not willing to tolerate the number of deaths of Iraqi people ... being caused by the insurgents and the terrorists. And a lot of them have been killed by the insurgents and terrorists."
This is expected to lead to what Rumsfeld calls a "tipping point" in the war, with Iraqis putting their support behind their new, representative government.
SecDef on Troop Strength in Iraq
If conditions in Iraq dictated the troop numbers, there would be 500 000 troops there.
On what basis? I'd say the generals know more about how many soldiers they need, and they've been adamant that we have enough over there.
I have been consistent here since 9/11/01 about what needs to be done, and how to do it.
My belief is that victory requires the conquest and long-term occupation of Arabia and Pakistan. This requires an American army of about 100 divisions.
I think the events which have occurred, and continue to occur in Iraq since April 2003 prove this POV to be correct. I recognize that it is a minority view, but I keep raising this flag in the hopes that we will eventually come around to doing what must be done.
As far as the generals, they've all been picked for sharing the W/Rummy vision of "allies" among the "Iraqi people", which I think is absurd.
Time will tell.
So basically, you think there aren't enough troops because you're advocating a completely different approach.
Okay, that explains that.
Basically.
Translation: Troop levels at over 100,000 for at least five more years with the U.S. footing the bill and draining the taxpayers dry.
And just what army corps (group) have YOU commanded?
Oh... never mind.
I see your point. However, if I had my way we wouldn't need any troops - a half-dozen H-bombs would do a bang-up job.
BTTT!!!!!
Rumsfeld ~ Bump!
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