LAT: Iraq Surge May Be Extended

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is laying the groundwork to extend the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq.......An average of 22 U.S. troops have died per week in April, the highest rate so far this year.

.....the Pentagon is beginning to take steps that suggests it expects to maintain higher troop levels into 2008 and beyond, yet officials still won't say whether the increase is intended as a short-term move. Some believe the lack of clarity is a mistake because it adds to the strain on troops and their families and it may lessen the psychological pressure on the belligerents.

Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute, whose January report on changing the U.S. military strategy in Iraq was largely adopted as part of Bush's new approach to the war, said in an interview Thursday that it appears the administration believes it will have to sustain the troop buildup much longer.

"They seem to be taking the steps that would make it possible to sustain it for longer, which is good," Kagan said. "But they seem to be reluctant to commit to a willingness to do that, which I think is unfortunate."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top13apr21,0,6019294.story?coll=la-ap-topnews-headlines

[charlie]

1. We send more, they kill more

Swell. You'd expect that the "you can't solve a problem by throwing more money at it" crowd would divine the obvious lesson from tossing more soldiers into the grinder, but blood isn't as dear to them as money.

[Rose Siding]

3. "Blood isn't as dear to them as money"

Well said. When I saw this piece, I found myself wondering if those few days of stock market rally this week were somehow related to this.

[tanyev]

2. Because it's working so well?

:sarcasm:

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

4. red rover, red rover, send the kagans over

[spanone]

5. No Big Surprise. We Have A Non-Responsive Government. Out Of Control

They don't give a flying shit what the people think or want.