Powell re Surge - "There really are no additional troops." and "surge cannot be sustained."

[Pirate Smile]

From Talking Points Memo:

I had just about been driven to distraction by the catch-word of the moment: "surge." As in, the President's "New Way Forward" in Iraq calls for a "surge" of additional troops. How can such a ridiculous euphemism makes its way into print past so many editors in one week's time?

But Colin Powell made a good point today about what "surge" really means:

Before any decision to increase troops, "I'd want to have a clear understanding of what it is they're going for, how long they're going for. And let's be clear about something else. . . . There really are no additional troops. All we would be doing is keeping some of the troops who were there, there longer and escalating or accelerating the arrival of other troops."

"That's how you surge. And that surge cannot be sustained." The "active Army is about broken," Powell said. Even beyond Iraq, the Army and Marines have to "grow in size, in my military judgment," and Congress must provide significant additional funding to sustain them.

Suddenly "surge" seems worth co-opting, as a euphemism for ephemeral last gasp.

-- David Kurtz

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/011604.php

[Cleita]

1. I don't care what Powell says.

He had the opportunity to stop this war in the planning stages and instead decided to be Bush's other poodle by lying about the WMDs. He also covered up the Mai Lai massacre in Vietnam. He is right but what good does it do to talk about it now?

[kenny blankenship]

2. Maybe he's right. Maybe it doesn't rank as a surge

Maybe it's just a splurge. Bush seen splurging on troops this holiday season, our headlines might read.

[Pirate Smile]

3. death rattle, death song, death throes, dying breath, final twitch, final words,

final words, last gasp, last hurrah, last legs, last words, swan song

[FARAFIELD]

4. WHAT ABOUT splooge?

Except i feel nice after that word

[applegrove]

5. I hope a surge means they will be leaving at the end of the year. Perhaps

it is a good sign. They'll have run out of troops by then. Perhaps I am being pollyannaish.

[bananas]

7. Nope - two years

according to a power-point presentation:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2932890&mesg_id=2937457

[Jennicut]

6. I think Powell got burned by Bush bad and maybe we should listen to him

I think he knows he was wrong about the whole U.N. thing and really regrets it now. I think he is absolutely correct in that we really don't have enough troops to do this. I am really getting sick of the talk by Chimpy and others about how leaving is a defeat and well, if we want to look bad we can just leave now. Defeat has already happened. Its too late. The war is "unwinnable" and we don't have enough troops, enough money, and enough public will to do a "surge". It won't work anyways.