Has The Surge Begun?
It may have started. Shelley thinks it's happening right now. "We've had at least four major movements of planes out of Scott airforce base today. . . and it could be nothing, but I've never heard this many go out at once." and this on the day that we learn from the Salt Lake Tribune that Utahns break from Bush on Iraq "Reddest state no longer behind war's handling, split on 'surge'."
It's over George, you've squandered too many of our brave young men and women and you've destroyed the reputation of a once proud nation. It's time for you to resign and take your vice president with you. Are you ready Nancy?
Comments
I think the "surge" is going to test the paradoxical notion that many voters like politicians who "stand on principle" rather than following opinion polls. My hunch is that this line is simply a way for people to defend politicians doing unpopular things which they themselves happen to agree with. Republicans who have turned against the war aren't likely to continue to praise Bush's determination.
The trains are running equipment out of Ft. Carson (South of Colorado Springs, and a mile from my house) too, just like they did for six months before we invaded Iraq - all while Dubya was proclaiming he had no plans to invade.
You don't ship millions of tons of equpment halfway around the world unless you intend to use them.
Wow, Nancy Pelosi as President? Talk about a catastrophe.
But not as bad as George W. Bush as president...
20,000 troops is a drop in a bucket and is utterly useless.
Numbers matter far less when it comes to the ability to maximise the numbers that you can deliver to a particular point.
But the genius that is George Bush thinks that by scattering his soldiers all over Iraq is going to improve matters.
If he does that, the insirgents need only a small fraction of soldiers to engage the US soldiers.
When the enemy is split into 10 units, my focus is only on one unit.
You can fight a war with soldiers playing security and peacekeeping.
If you want to take the fight to them, you have concentrate your force and keep it constantly on the move looking for the enemy's HQ or supply base.
Alternatively, you need to move all civilian combatants behind a defensible enclosure to reduce access to suppkies and arms by the insurgents.
"You CANNOT fight a war with soldiers playing security and peacekeeping."
You can only define one mission for your soldier at a time.
In this case, search and destory.
Don't divert attention by asking your soldiers to do the following all at once:
1] Patrol civilian areas
2] Maintain security
3] Peacekeeping in tumultuous territory
4] Fight insurgents.
Why do you think the Chief of Staff insisted that a surge requires a clearly defined mission to succeed?
Why is John McCain supporting George Bush's surge without a clearly defined objective or mission?