U.S. orders another 60,000 to Persian Gulf (total 310,000)

cnn ^ | 3/3/03

[knak]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the United States beefing up its military might around Iraq, another 60,000 troops -- including all 17,000 soldiers of the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division -- received orders to deploy to the Persian Gulf region, military officials said Monday.

[AlextheWise1]

This is an absurd amount of men and equitment. We used so much last time because they were the worlds 4th or something largest army, and we did not know our equitment could go through soviet junk like butter. We are probably twice as lethal and manuverable now. We could have taken saddam in november. This is either misdirection to make it seem like the attack is further off than it is, we are going to take out the whole vipers nest at once, or they are really going to South Korea.

[Husker24]

I think between 500,000 - 600,000. It was massive.

[AlextheWise1]

The 101st's equitment left weeks ago, it was planned months ago most lilely

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

I'm beginning to wonder if we have something much larger in mind than just Saddam.

You are correct. They will be used for the MASSIVE and extended occupation and nation building that will follow the war. I believe the Pentagon announced last week that the occupation force will be around 200,000.

[CatOwner]

60,000 troops? That's a lot of personnel just to draw another line in the sand (although I hope I am wrong).

[KickRightRudder]

I'm sorry.I'm worried.

George W. CARTER

This is turning into a keystone cops operation. There is no coordination, no firm timetables, no ultimatums to turkey or anyone else, and we have ship and troops sitting offshore because turkey is jerking us around. This is Jimmy Carter type weakness and people here and overseas can smell it. Bush,Cheney,Powell, and others better get their act together soon or they'll be one- termers.

The impression that nobody knows what the hell they're doing filters down, and I worry about a very sloppy operation with far to many casualties.

[AlextheWise1]

Thats the impression its supposed to give

[Cap Huff]

"The troops who received the latest deployment orders were described as "follow-on forces," not part of the main invasion force that would take part in any war with Iraq."

There are a lot of possibilities here, but calling these "follow-on forces" and announcing this the Monday after Turkey rejects our 62,000 soldiers may be a not-so-subtle warning to some people to keep their hands off the northern oil fields. Don't even think about it.

Additionally, to all those people who seem so sure that Bush is going to back down, this serves the purpose of signalling the opposite. I do not think that Bush, backed by the thinking and support of Cheyney, Rumsfeld, and Rice, would order 60,000 soldiers to go around the block for the fun of it, on top of the quarter million already engaged.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Just reeeeeeelax, Dude.

[knak]

I'm thinking it'll be over with before anybody knows it's started.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

This is Jimmy Carter type weakness and people here and overseas can smell it. Bush,Cheney,Powell, and others better get their act together soon or they'll be one- termers.

fool, are you on crack? The Taliban attacked us and look at what we've doe, we took their stinking pathetic country. Now were going after Iraq, then looks as if we're going to take down Jung IlKim whatshisface in N Korea.

And people are going to think that we are weak ????, uhhhh...yeah ...sure

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

This is Jimmy Carter type weakness and people here and overseas can smell it. Bush,Cheney,Powell, and others better get their act together soon or they'll be one- termers.

fool, are you on crack? The Taliban attacked us and look at what we've done, we took their stinking pathetic country. Now were going after Iraq, then looks as if we're going to take down Jung Il Kim whatshisface in N Korea.

And people are going to think that we are weak ????, uhhhh...yeah ...sure

[Robert_Paulson2]

looks like plans c-f

is it just me, or does it appear that we are preparing for something MUCH larger than a simple take down of hussein?

His army is one sixth of it's former self... and about 25 35 percent functional... with reliable data that over half of his personnel are readying to surrender or defect at the first triggering event. IN other words ASAP...

I think this is about RUSSIA, China, IRAN, SYRIA, France?, Germany? N. Korea?, protecting Taiwan and the situation in VENEZUELA...

this is PURE speculation... so don't give me the loose lips thingie... but we don't need half a million men... and if we admit we have 350 thousand in theater called up.. that means we have more than that, and that's not counting the brits, the aussies, or other allies who MIGHT be involved.

Perhaps we are preparing for a surprisingly powerful Iraqi response... but methinks something MUCH MUCH bigger is afoot...
Three or four dozen b52s and their support crafts... in Britain means MORE than an invasion of Iraq to me. Pulling our troops in almost toto from Germany is strange too. Are we preparing to defend the former Warsaw pact nations from the bear? I am beginning to think so.

Do we KNOW the Iraqis have nukes? Or have we been secretly warned by putin that RUSSIA is going to the mat for their former satellite and partner in the secret cold war against america?

I think RUSSIA is NOT so dormant as we think...
WAY more troops than I had heard we needed... for just Iraq.
ezekiel 38 on the way?

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

That was a rogue Army man.

Thanks. I wasn't quite sure where I heard that number. Nonetheless, there WILL be a massive and lengthy occupation to keep things in order. Anyone who doesn't see that is being shortsighted. Three seperate ethnic groups vying for power and autonomy, Turks coming in to grab oil in the North and put down the Kurds, and who knows what Iran has planned, they are already massing troops on the border. ALL big potential problems that will require HUGE numbers of troops to deal with for a long, long time.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I just wish people would relax a bit and have faith in this administration. For Pete's sake, it's not Clinton we're talking about. He'd be pretty hard pressed to even put together this large a group of soldiers....

Just pray, everyone, and know that it's going to work out in the end.

[knak]

If clinton was still in office we probably wouldn't even have this many troops!