US may boost troop levels in Iraq

The US army says it may send more troops to Iraq before the January elections, depending on the outcome of its offensive in Falluja.US military commanders were considering whether to boost their troop levels in Iraq by several thousand, Lt Gen Lance Smith told a Pentagon news conference.

Gen Smith, the deputy head of US Central Command in Iraq, described the Falluja operation as very successful. But he said it was "too early to say" if it had broken rebels' resistance.

His remarks contrasted with those of the top marine commander in Iraq, Lt Gen John Sattler, who said on Thursday that the offensive had indeed "broken the back of the insurgency". US officers in Falluja say they hope to clear the city of insurgents in the next few days so that reconstruction work can begin.

Gen Smith said US commanders could boost troop strength in Iraq ahead of the elections by about a brigade - in other words, by 3,000 to 5,000. There are about 138,000 US troops in the country. Initially, the plan would be to ask troops currently there to stay on longer than originally intended. The Pentagon has already announced one temporary increase of about 3,000 troops.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4027591.stm

I'm sure they have figured out some way to stick it to the blue states again.

longer than originally intended."

Well, that's nice of them, to ask and all. :eyes:

Surprise Surprise Surprise!!

And up next for your viewing Pleasure the DRAFT with a new name of course.

until they die, thereby returning troop strength to its previous level.

of it. That is just more propaganda speech to try to fool us. We know better.

Didn't they like to have a small and fast army? The times are a changing.

Some question whether it will be enough to quell the violence and worry about the impact of prolonged tours. Amid a spike in violence in Iraqi cities coinciding with the Fallujah offensive, the US military is now planning to boost combat forces to secure the country for elections in January.

The US is likely to expand the force by thousands of GIs in coming weeks by delaying the departure of more experienced units from Iraq as fresh troops rotate in, military officials say.

In reality, the US cannot substantially increase ground forces in Iraq for the long term without accepting risk in other parts of the world or making Iraq tours longer or closer together - a step sure to lower morale. "I'm committed to providing the troops that are requested, but I can't promise more than I've got," the Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, told a Congressional hearing Wednesday in which military service chiefs detailed soaring demands on manpower and equipment.

"The demand on the force has increased exponentially," the Marine Corps commandant, Gen. Michael Hagee, told the House Armed Services Committee, saying Marines now spend about twice as much time deployed as two years ago. Decisions are expected soon on extending specific units in Iraq, and on the possibility of deploying others early from bases in the US, according to senior military officials. In October, the military ordered some 6,500 troops to delay their departure from Iraq.

http://csmonitor.com/2004/1119/p03s01-usmi.html

there would be no increase of troops to Iraq?

Didn't Bush say there is no problem with the deficit?