Gates is saying the worse it gets in Iraq, the more troops he's going to add

[bigtree]

Gates links Iraqi progress to troop need

4/20/2007

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
The Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Bush administration will take into account Iraq's political progress when deciding this summer whether or not to bring home some of the thousands of extra troops the U.S. has sent to tamp down violence there.

Bush hinged his new Iraq strategy not only on the troop buildup but also on the prospect that the Iraqis would demonstrate that they can reconcile the sectarian divisions that are behind much of the daily violence.

Gates said he was "modestly optimistic that we will see steady progress" in combatting the violence. But, he said, "There probably will be tough days to come."

Gates said the U.S. troop buildup will continue at least until late summer. "We need some time for things to work," he said.

He assured al-Maliki that the U.S. continues to be committed to the Iraqi government and the Baghdad security plan, Gates said.

He rejected Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's assessment that the war was already lost and the troop buildup was not stemming violence in Iraq. "I respectfully disagree," Gates said when asked by a reporter about Reid's Thursday remarks.

Three of the five extra brigades Bush ordered into Iraq to stem violence have arrived. Officials want the rest in place by June, for a total of 160,000. Soon after that, they will assess how much longer the higher troop level — about 30,000 more than before the buildup — will be needed.

http://www.silive.com/newsflash/washington/index.ssf?/base/politics-12/1177086548252040.xml&storylist=washington


Gate's position is an entirely opposite posture than the Democrats in opposition, but it's presented as 'pressure' on the Iraqis. What he's really saying is that he'll keep our troops hostage to the 'surge' until there's 'progress'. He may be saying that the commitment isn't 'open-ended' but he's still giving the fiasco "some time for things to work." He's already said that the 'surge' isn't the last military option in Iraq.


from Feb.:

Surge is not 'last chance' for success, Gates says

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) asked Gates what happens if the surge plan fails:

"It is not the last chance," Gates replied. "We, at this point, are planning for success."
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-gates6feb07,1,3034293.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[wtmusic]

1. "Thrice is he armed, who hath his quarrel just."

Shakespeare knew 400 years ago why we it is certain we will lose.

[babylonsister]

2. What happens when he runs out of troops? This seems just

pigheaded to me. And how will THIS affect troop morale? :thumbsdown:

[tularetom]

3. More troops? Where the f**k is he gonna get them from?

[MnFats]

4. He should talk to Gen. Westmoreland about the 'light at the end of the tunnel'

strategy.

it worked so well in Vietnam

[StClone]

5. Now this is well known sign of insanity

Doing the same thing an expecting a different outcome. We saw another form of insanity in Virginia and it sicken us. Insanity is now policy.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Wow, the same strategy used in Viet Nam! Groovy, man!