The generals and commanders on the ground in Iraq have steadfastly refused the idea that throwing more troops into Iraq would fix the problems there.
Until now.
Suddenly, the lightbulb’s went on all over the military this week. Why hell yes! That’s the ticket! More troops, we need more friggin troops! We don’t know what the hell we will do with them, but we definitely need more troops in Iraq.
As this article in the LAT Saturday points out: “Commanders have been skeptical of the value of increasing troops, and the decision represents a reversal for Casey, the highest-ranking officer in Iraq. Casey and Gen. John P. Abizaid, the top commander in the Middle East who will step down in March, have long resisted adding troops in Iraq, arguing that it could delay the development of Iraqi security forces and increase anger at the United States in the Arab world.” The article also points out that the commanders don’t really know the exact number of new troops they need.
Just keep throwing bodies at it until its fixed. Smother it and it will die. “It”, being the insurgency and the inability of the American Military to secure a “win” in Iraq.
The problems within Iraq are not simple. Iraq is comparable to that bad stepchild whom you would really like to “slap the shit out of, and make his teeth rattle”, as my dear ol mum used to say. There are laws against that sort of corporal punishment now of course, but it doesn’t make the urge go away now does it?
After everyone, and I mean everyone…shook their collective heads for the last year and said “A military win isn’t possible in Iraq”…now, it’s just on the horizon if our President and his military minions have anything to say about it.
Is this bastard in denial or what?
It’s taken us 3 years to admit we haven’t given our troops already on the ground the proper equipment and to do their jobs. For the last 3 years our military leaders have been unable to build, equip and maintain Iraqi security forces that have any semblance of readiness. The body count has done nothing but rise every year, both Iraqi civilians and our own men and women. Within the last year, troop levels have been raised slowly, so as not to gain the attention of those of us keeping the home fires burning.
