New battle may suggest insufficient troops

[Barrett808]

New battle may suggest insufficient troops
By Pamela Hess
UPI Pentagon Correspondent

Washington, DC -- The military offensive now under way in northwestern Iraq, coming on the heels of the November attack on Fallujah, is symptomatic of the limitations of the size of the American force assigned to the region, U.S. military officers said Tuesday.

"The enemy is trying very hard to establish a sanctuary somewhere, and the small force structure out west makes it inviting for him," said a commander with significant time spent in Anbar province. "We had been watching that linkage since pre-Fallujah," he told United Press International, a reference to the November battle that ousted insurgents from that stronghold.

The new attack, Operation Matador, is meant to go after insurgent forces associated with Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was recently spotted in the area south of Husayba, near the Syrian border.

About 1,000 U.S. forces, mostly Marines, are in battle against an undisclosed or unknown number of enemy fighters. By Tuesday, the Pentagon reported three Marines had been killed and about 20 wounded. Insurgent casualties are estimated at about 100.

(more)

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050510-054624-4587r.htm

[LionInWinter]

1. And this is from that Moonie rag.

Does it feel a bit "drafty" in here, or is it just me?

[meganmonkey]

2. You're not alone

Brrrrr..... :scared:

[Theres-a]

3. Don't they mean "insufficient truth"

[jazzjunkysue]

4. Who the hell is the enemy? The ones we're liberating?

I didn't know there were any democrats in Iraq.

[ugarte]

5. It's not just the numbers of troops

It's the whole baggage train of logistical support (Halliburton) that our top-heavy army requires. It's like using a heavy hammer to try and swat a jumping flea.