Reply #10: Agree K&R... how many troops do we need to keep in Iraq

[slipslidingaway]

to protect American citizens?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/us/politics/04military.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

"...Pentagon planners say that it is possible that Mr. Obama’s goal could be accomplished at least in part by relabeling some units, so that those currently counted as combat troops could be “re-missioned,” their efforts redefined as training and support for the Iraqis.

In Iraq today, there are 15 brigades defined as combat forces in this debate, with one on its way home. But the overall number of troops on the ground is more than 50 brigade equivalents, for a total of 146,000 troops, including service and support personnel. Even now, after the departure of the five “surge” brigades that President Bush sent to Iraq in January 2006, the overall number of troops in Iraq remains higher than when Mr. Bush ordered the troop increase, owing to the number of support and service personnel remaining..."


*****OT Madfloridian, in case you missed Greenwald's column yesterday.

"...the claimed irrelevance of presidential appointments"

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/12/08/hayden/index.html