McCain calls for 10,000 extra troops for Iraq

Financial Times ^ | November 10 2005 | Caroline Daniel and Guy Dinmor

[jmc1969]

Senator John McCain on Thursday called for an immediate increase of 10,000 troops in Iraq, and said the “stakes are higher than they were in Vietnam” for US foreign policy.

Conceding that there was an “undeniable sense that things are slipping” in Iraq, Mr McCain said “we need a renewed effort to win the home front. Without it we will lose this war as soundly as if we had lost on the battlefield...We must get Iraq right, as American stakes in the conflict are enormous”.

Senator John Kerry has laid out an alternative strategy that would enable the US to bring home 20,000 troops.

But Mr McCain called that plan “a major step on the road to disaster. If we leave now the most likely result would be full-scale civil war. No American leader would want our nation to suffer that moral stain. Instability in Iraq would invite further Syrian and Iranian influence.”

Instead, he called for a military counter-insurgency strategy to create permanent safe areas in the country, rather than focus on short-term seasonal offences across different parts of the country. “Sweeping and leaving is not working. We need to clear and stay.”

The rival policies come amid a stream of visits from Iraqi officials in the run-up to elections on December 15. Adil Abdul Mahdi, the deputy president, on Thursday met administration officials who see him as a contender for prime minister.

A leading figure in the ruling Shia alliance, Abdul Mahdi said the alliance sought consensus politics and would not impose an Islamist vision on Iraq. Sale of alcohol would not be banned, for example, he said. He stressed that the new constitution was a “marriage” of Islamic and secular and democratic ideas.

[Cicero]

No, I don't know for sure. Who does? But the suspicion seems to be that the leak was from a Republican caucus that received a security briefing. And I can't think of a likelier candidate than McCain.

[NorCalRepub]

how do you know that I would vote for a man who called the Swift Boat Veterans "Dishonest and Dishonorable'....?? Do you know me well enough to say that..?????.....

.....and I don't agree with McCain on that issue, however, I voted for Bush, and his team totally smeared McCain on the campaign trail, in Carolina I believe and I didn't agree with Bush on that matter either...so I don't have to totally agree with someone to vote for him....I would vote for McCain against any Dem....I would not vote for McCain if we had a proper conservative that would actually run

[Sometimes A River]

He recommends anything contrarian to the current Administration.

[Wiseghy]

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

Well, the military is going to 92k in '06, like it, or not. The Iraqis' want their chance and we want to give it to them.

The locals will crush AQ without mercy once we're not around to enforce the rules.

Kerry is, once again, shamelessly trying to take credit for a pre-planned draw-down. 30K indeed.

[CaptainK]

At least her Thighness is consistent and you know where she's coming from. Now I have to go wash my mouth out for saying something nice about her.

[Godebert]

"how do you know that I would vote for a man who called the Swift Boat Veterans "Dishonest and Dishonorable'....?? Do you know me well enough to say that..?"

I KNOW that because you said it:

"I would vote for McCain against any Dem."

Not only that....but you seem to imply that you voted for the schmuck in the 2000 primary as you complained about he was "smeared" by President Bush.

[NorCalRepub]

I would vote for him yes....before any Dem I can think off....so yes....and I said I voted for Bush...in the primaries and the election....I did not imply anything, I said he was smeared by Bush and that is common knowledge. I didn't like that cheap tactic but I thought Bush was the more conservative candidate....well...Im' not sure McCain would have done better, but Bush is hardly the conservative I thought he was.....at least with all his spending, way more then Klintoon and not guarding the borders. I believe that you dislike or simply disagree with anyone that even says one thing nice about McCain....I don't hate the man, I simply think he is not qualified to be Prez....

[Godebert]

"I believe that you dislike or simply disagree with anyone that even says one thing nice about McCain...."

You are correct.

[NorCalRepub]

ok......there ya go....we finally agree.... too bad that differences of opinion (not you ) can bring out the worst in some that otherwise agree on most issues here...that is all I originally was trying to say....God....compared to Collins, Snowe, Spector or Chaffee, McCain is Uber Conservative.....but hey....I do agreen he is the biggest media whore around...hell, he never met a microphone he didn't like....that is for sure.....

[ApplegateRanch]

Living proof all politicians should have to submit a current certificate of sanity every time they run.

Of course, that begs the question of who would do the certifying; maybe instead we should just consider them all nuts until proven otherwise.

As Heinlein once said, if someone wants to hold an office, it should be prima facie proof they are not mentally fit to hold it. McCain is an obvious example.

[Mo1]

Where indeed. John knows this, but it's so much easier to grandstand

Ya know .. one would think these idiots learned at least one thing about the Vietnam Was

Politicians should not be telling the Military how to do their job

[CommandoFrank]

“Sweeping and leaving is not working. We need to clear and stay.”

Never thought I'd do it but here I'm agreeing wholeheartedly with Big John. It sickens me to see we've lost soldiers retaking previously taken cities. Let's take'em and keep'em.

Do it, do it right, do it right now!

[wny]

This dweeb can't go a week without sucking up to the NY Times.

[cookcounty]

And this guy thinks military families are going to support him?

John McCain: I can remember when he was a great man. but then, I'm pretty old.

[Bush 100 Percent]

I think he has no idea that he can't just "dream up" ideas that sound good, but needs to consult with people in the Military, etc. Just like Campaign Finance Reform, I don't think he has any idea that just because it sounds good, it may not work the way he thinks in reality. I have heard that many that have tried to implement CFR have tried to tell him how it actually works versus what he thought it would be, and he won't listen because he doesn't understand the realities of it.

Just the fact that he doesn't realize that he is interfering with a Military that just may be more in the know than a Senator ..... says a lot.

[piasa]

What actual proof was ever produced that McCain was smeared by Bush?

[Stellar Dendrite]

this is who i thought of today when rush was talking about it, it makes perfect sense. if it is discovered that mccain did it, this will torpedo his nomination for 2008 and he will never hold elected office again after his senatorial term is up.

[tonycavanagh]

I agree more troops are needed and i would happily debate that with anyone on FR, in the next two hours then sorry the weekend kicks in and I am flying to North Ireland.

[tonycavanagh]

I agree more troops are needed and i would happily debate that with anyone on FR, in the next two hours then sorry the weekend kicks in and I am flying to North Ireland.