Simply amazing how desperate the DC Old Club Boys's club is to repeat all the same errors of the Vietnam War. We sent 500,000 troops to Vietnam at one point. How did that work out?
More troops does not solve any of the problems here. It provides MORE targets for the Terrorists, puts more people on the firing line with neither the training nor the mindset for Counter Insurgency ops all the while marginalizing and retarding the efforts of getting the Iraqis to the point they can stand on their own two feet.
It also future polarizes the ground situation and drives large segments of the population into the hands of the terrorists. The Liberators quickly become seen as an Army of Conquerors.
The American troops in Britain prior to D Day cause enormous friction with the locals. And that was with a fairly heterogeneous society facing total war. How much worse do you think that friction would be in a place like Iraq?
Counter Insurgency is not Total War. People should quit trying to apply their Conventional War dogmas to an Asymmetrical mission.
I wish the Arm Chair Freepers would quit simply screaming their dogmas and actually listen to the Professional Military on the ground in Iraq. Gen Abizaid came back from Iraq 2 week ago to testify in front of the US Senate on Iraq. John McCain asked him if he needed more troops and the Gen basically told McCain he was an idiot for thinking more troops was the answer.
Now why would anyone want to do that! When it's so much more satisfying to simply scream and hollar send more troops and kill em all, I want this to be over in 2 hours...with commerical breaks.
2. My understanding of Abizaid's commments to the Senate Armed Services committee back on Nov.15th was that he agreed with Shiseki's statements 10 days ago about increasing troop strengths in Iraq. Here's Abizaids actual quote to Sen. Lindsey Graham:
“Gen. Shinseki was right that a greater international force contribution, U.S. force contribution and Iraqi force contribution should have been available immediately after major combat operations,” Abizaid said. “I think you can look back and say that more American troops would have been advisable in the early stages of May, June, July.”