AP: Bush's Plan To Boost U.S. Troops In Iraq Met With Harsh Skepticism In Mideast

[Hissyspit]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/11/africa/ME-GEN-Mideast-Bush.php

Bush's plan to boost U.S. troops in Iraq met with harsh skepticism in Mideast

The Associated Press
Thursday, January 11, 2007
CAIRO, Egypt
U.S. President George W. Bush's new strategy to send thousands more troops to Iraq was met Thursday with strong skepticism across the Mideast, where many predicted that even with more soldiers, America would fail to break the cycle of violence.

Many saw the surge in troops as a desperate move that will only increase the United States' failures in Iraq — and could deepen the sectarian divides in the war-fractured country, leading to more bloodshed.

There were deep doubts that U.S. troops, or the Shiite-led Iraqi government, would tackle what many in the Sunni-dominated Arab world see as the chief threat to Iraq: Shiite militias, blamed for fueling the cycle of sectarian slayings.

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"We want to see from day one that the Americans search Sadr City (the Mahdi Army stronghold in Baghdad) as strongly as they deal with Fallujah and Ramadi," two Sunni insurgent regions, he said. "Otherwise i don't see any chances for success."

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But many in the Arab world profoundly distrust al-Maliki's government, believing it is serving Iran's interests and aims only to establish Shiite domination of Iraq, without making concessions to the Sunni minority that ruled the country under Saddam Hussein.

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[maddezmom]

1. Bush plan for Iraq fails to sway world doubters

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Britain, Australia and Japan -- which supported the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 -- backed the new Bush plan which involves sending more than 21,000 extra US troops in a bid to quell the insurgent-fuelled strife in Iraq.

But none offered new military help, while China and Germany, leading opponents of the invasion, expressed doubts that the new measures would stabilize Iraq.

~snip~

China, which opposed the invasion, reacted to Bush's speech by saying peace and stability could only be secured in Iraq through democracy and national reconciliation.

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"There is a certain scepticism in the United States and we naturally share that here in Germany," Voigt told Suedwestrundfunk radio.

"The US president has often proved in the past to be too optimistic."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070111/wl_afp/usiraqbushworld_070111112623