Pentagon extends Iraq tours for 2,200 Marines

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Pentagon extends Iraq tours for 2,200 Marines
19 Jul 2007 21:00:43 GMT

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - The Pentagon has extended
the combat tours of 2,200 Marines in Iraq for 30 days, keeping
the troops on the ground to help stabilize Anbar province, a
Marine Corps spokesman said on Thursday.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is conducting
counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's western province, will
stay until at least the end of September, under the extension.

"It's to contribute to stability operations," said Maj. Jay
Delarosa, who called the extension typical.

"The bottom line is if they're extended another month, that's
when you kind of have to be concerned," Delarosa said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19285857.htm

[ninkasi]

1. This is tragic

CheneyBush is destroying our armed forces. They are making sure that they can get every penny squeezed from the American taxpayers, and have no qualms about destroying another country, along with this one, in order to do it. People are breaking under the strain.

I don't understand why there is any hesitation at all about impeaching them both, it looks like the survival of democracy depends on getting them out of office, and tried for war crimes.

[superconnected]

2. That's mentally gotta be pulling at the troops.

Look how many deaths have happened a week or days before a person was to be transfered out of there and much of the time they were already on an extension.

[Seedersandleechers]

3. I feel for the marines and their families

Please let them at least quit if they want to. I guess the military owns these people.

[tabasco]

4. Republicans say: "They volunteered - - FUCK 'EM!"

Republicans say our troops are really happy fighting and winning victories in the Holy War On Terror. They say our troops volunteered and should have expected to fight in the provinces for ten or twenty years. That's how long it might take until there is no more terror and, coincidentally, no more Iraqi oil.

[Amonester]

9. And no more Iraqis.

At the rate they've been genocided or/and refugied, it's not hard to do the math.

[Ilsa]

5. What just a cotton-picking minute! Lindsay Graham says Anbar is

like walking into church during a prayer service. Nice, quiet, everyone cooperating.

[Massachusetts]

6. Bring Back The Draft!

Then, watch how things will change.

Remeber: "if you're not in the game, what do you have to lose?"

[Javaman]

7. that won't do a thing. Do you honestly believe that the rich kids will serve?

If so, I have a wonderful bridge to sell you.

[Massachusetts]

10. It wasn't "rich kids" that made the difference when we had the draft

But, strangely enough more middle class students, draft eligible and parents began to react with outrage.


"Demonstrations grew in 1966, spurred by a change in the Selective Service System's draft policy that exposed students in the bottom of half of their classes to the possibility that their deferments would be revoked and they would be drafted. Teach-ins changed to sit-ins -- student take-overs of administration offices. A three-day event at the University of Chicago got national attention in May 1966, and University of Wisconsin students also staged their own occupation of an administration building that month. The Madison draft protest, which drew several thousand students to one rally, was peacefully resolved by a promise that the faculty would review the school's draft policy. But tensions rose at campuses like Cornell, where students tried to organize a national burn-your-draft-card movement; and Harvard, where protesters trapped Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in a police car and assailed him with questions about the war."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/twodays/peopleevents/e_ant...


When there's a high possibility of ones ass being on the line, you pay attention and react. Tell me I'm wrong.

[Javaman]

11. Will your ass be on the line this time around? nt

[acmavm]

13. Rich kids won't serve. But it'll sure rile up those rah-rah assholes who

are evading their duty right now.

[Supersedeas]

8. nothing to see here -- feed them more Barbara Starr in Ramadi

[wmbrew0206]

12. Not a suprise

13th MEU arrived in Iraq in late May. They have only been on the ground for about two months. This was completely expected. This is not comparable to asking an Army BCT to stay an extra 90 days just as they are packing to go home after a year in country.

Any time a MEU floats into theater and then goes ashore in Iraq or Afghanistan, you have to expect a month extension at least. It takes about a month to a month and a half to get to Kuwait. About two to three weeks for the off load and movement to the new AO. And the same amount of time on the backside to get back to the ships and float home. MEU deployments are normally only six months, so that only leaves about two to two and half months of combat operations. Any time a MEU goes into IRaq or Afghanistan the Marines know they will be extended for at least a month.

[wmbrew0206]

14. double post

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