US to have over 170,000 troops in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16367720.htm

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. troops in Iraq will reach a new high of more than 170,000 later this year as departing and incoming units overlap for a period, a senior U.S. officer said on Thursday.

Army Lt. Gen. Carter Ham said the overlap would occur under plans to maintain the current level of around 160,000 troops into next spring but those plans could be changed if a political decision was made to draw down forces in Iraq.

"This fall ... there will a period where there will be up to five brigades simultaneously transitioning and so we'll see a spike during that transition period up to as high as perhaps 171,000," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

"Then as the transition completes we'll get back to the levels that we are (at) today," said Ham, director of operations for the U.S. military's Joint Staff.

[mmonk]

1. The beat goes on.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Amazing how the number get ever higher with each "overlap" period.

[Tigermoose]

3. God help us if they go after Iran...

Do you think Iran is nervous with that kind of troop build up next to them?

[PDJane]

4. Notice they don't tell you about

the 160 000 contractors that are there.......

[AtomicKitten]

5. mercenaries account for about that amount as well

And Junior still can't get it right!

[Bobbieo]

7. How many from Blackwater?

[AtomicKitten]

8. There are an estimated 80-100 private firms including Blackwater.

The White House has run interference in attempts to place a number on the amount of mercenaries on the U.S. payroll in Iraq, but the consensus of pundits talking about this seems to indicate there are as many mercs (in toto) as soldiers in Iraq, the difference being the mercs are paid better, armed better, and immune from prosecution.

[spanone]

6. and so will the next democratic president if congress doesn't cut the funding NOW