20,000 U.S. Troops to Stay in Iraq Longer

FoxNews ^

[Happy2BMe]

WASHINGTION

[Happy2BMe]

20,000.

[Happy2BMe]

1st ID, 1st Armored, 2nd Armored Cavalry, 101st Airborne,4th Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division ping.

[RobbyS]

Has anyone heard about the situation regarding Sadr?

[VOYAGER]

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced Thursday."We regret having to extend those individuals," Rumsfeld told reporters. "But the country is at war and we need to do what is necessary to succeed."

What a bummer. it looks like Donald Dumbsfeld just made another stupid boo boo and thinks all he has to do is to say "get over it"!

Not so this time Sir you probably just signed some of these brave Americans death warrants and without getting to see their folks one more time before it happens.

What are they using to make some of these dumb decisions that land smack dab on the grunts, "fortune cookies"?

This is a major faux paux on the part of this present military leadership and should be immediately corrected ere it comes to pass.

If it were my son or daughter that was being used to save the rear of these "rolling the dice guessers" the next voice they would hear would be mine, loud and clear!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, Happy.

The transcript:

Special Defense Department Briefing [details on changes in troop strength in Iraq] ~ DoD | 4/15/04

Pray that it's only 90 days and the troops quickly dispatch with the troublemakers (and the people turn off Al Jazeera), and we aren't forced to respond as we could, anytime.

[Happy2BMe]

How many troops did it take to stabilize Germany after WWII?

Japan?

[Happy2BMe]

He is holed up in a Mosque - Najif I think.

[Conservababe]

Reservists or regular military?

[Happy2BMe]

Combination. Reservists are being used heavily.

[ilgipper]

what's the alternative?

[LADY J]

"How many troops did it take to stabilize Germany after WWII? Japan?"

More important - how long were they away from home?

[Conservababe]

This is not good. I hope it does not hurt President Bush's relection. Rummy should be wary of holding the Reserve over.

[Happy2BMe]

Many were away from home as long as four years.

[Happy2BMe]

There is only one alternative to not extending the Reserves - and you know what that is.

[LADY J]

"Many were away from home as long as four years."

My uncle fought in Italy and I remember how wonderful his homecoming was - after being gone soooooo long.

[Conservababe]

Yes, I know, but the chickens will come home to roost with Rummy's (and I love the man) cavalier attitude toward reservists. They did not choose the military as a full time career. But, it seems now that they are treated as such. In some cases, regular military are rotated faster than reservists.

He simply cannot treat the reserve as disposable kleenex and expect them to re-up.

And, I guess that brings me to your question...the one other alternative. I suppose we both know that it is the reinstatement of a draft.

[IfYouSaySo]

MacArthur had the 8th and 6th, about 460,00 troops, in 1946.
Japan had a population of about 76 million. As I recall, Iraq has a population of about 26,000,000. So a similar occupation force would be 155,000.

[TomasUSMC]

"MacArthur had the 8th and 6th, about 460,00 troops, in 1946.
Japan had a population of about 76 million. As I recall, Iraq has a population of about 26,000,000. So a similar occupation force would be 155,000."

If we had done to Iraq what we did to Japan we would need an occupation force of 100 boy scouts. But then, if we had fought Japan like we have fought Iraq, the Japanese would have been occupying US.

[Happy2BMe]

Yep - Draft.

You have FRmail.

[IfYouSaySo]

True. We thought we were lucky when the bulk of the Iraq armed forces melted into the night. May not have been a blessing, after all.