Posted on 11/15/2006 5:11:21 PM PST by jmc1969
President George Bush has told senior advisers that the US and its allies must make "a last big push" to win the war in Iraq and that instead of beginning a troop withdrawal next year, he may increase US forces by up to 20,000 soldiers, according to sources familiar with the administration's internal deliberations.
Mr Bush's refusal to give ground, coming in the teeth of growing calls in the US and Britain for a radical rethink or a swift exit, is having a decisive impact on the policy review being conducted by the Iraq Study Group chaired by Bush family loyalist James Baker, the sources said.
Although the panel's work is not complete, its recommendations are expected to be built around a four-point "victory strategy" developed by Pentagon officials advising the group.
Point one of the strategy calls for an increase rather than a decrease in overall US force levels inside Iraq, possibly by as many as 20,000 soldiers. This figure is far fewer than that called for by the Republican presidential hopeful, John McCain. But by raising troop levels, Mr Bush will draw a line in the sand and defy Democratic pressure for a swift drawdown.
The reinforcements will be used to secure Baghdad, scene of the worst sectarian and insurgent violence, and enable redeployments of US, coalition and Iraqi forces elsewhere in the country.
Four-point strategy
· Increase US troop levels by up to 20,000 to secure Baghdad and allow redeployments elsewhere in Iraq
· Focus on regional cooperation with international conference and/or direct diplomatic involvement of countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
· Revive reconciliation process between Sunni, Shia and others
· Increased resources from Congress to fund training and equipment of Iraqi security forces
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Bull
Calling it a "last" big push is a terrible error. Show the "insurgents" all they have to do is survive it and they have won.
DOesn't anyone understand psychological warfare?
Say this for Dubya...he's stubborn and has a pair!
Face it they won on nov 7th
Nobody in the MSM does, but, of course, that is willful.
Remember whose side they are on.
Its not the insurgents that are the main problem, it is the da*n militias. In time the insurgents will be wiped out, but we need to deal with the militias now and that will take more troops and relaxed ROEs.
That "last" jumped out at me too. I do not feel comfortable with the situation in Iraq, and am less than enthusiatic about it now, but the Dems and the media and the voters made a BIG mistake. I want to win this, and want President Bush deciding, not Democrats in debt to leftist peaceniks.
How about a lot of "Rolling Thunder" dropping upon the cities that house the insurgents? I am sure the Buffs are idle.
"Calling it a "last" big push is a terrible error. Show the "insurgents" all they have to do is survive it and they have won"
I agree with you. But, maybe calling it the "last big push" is being psychological? Who knows. Most of this past weeks headlines and stories that I've seen online make me think the whole internet has got a big "stupidity" virus.
Shock and Awe (the serous kind)
IF President Bush said that...isn't it possible that this is yet another case of something he said in private...became UNPRIVATE???
Good grief, all of the rumors about what the Iraq Study Group will recommend...and what President Bush will and won't accept are in the dozens by now.
At least if it stays this way...the terrorists will be just as confused as we are...
We need forces here to secure cities from the illegal alien invasion.
You got it. Flatten it so that nothing survives. That is the only thing that the insurgents respect; brute force.
We could put a wall on the boarder of Mexico, but I won't hold my breath.
You want me to believe this?
Kill al-Sadr!
They call it torture now.
The article is a complete and total lie.
Let's see... believe the Guardian, or General Abizaid... what should I do? What should I do? /sarc
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8961d0f0-7501-11db-bc76-0000779e2340.html
See the Link
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