Pentagon to Boost Iraq Troops to 135,000

[kpete]

Pentagon to Boost Iraq Troops to 135,000

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
The Associated Press
Friday, July 28, 2006; 2:16 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's move to increase U.S. forces in Iraq will push troops levels to roughly 135,000, dashing Bush administration hopes of dropping that figure by tens of thousands by the fall congressional campaigns.

As of Friday, there were 16 Army and Marine brigades in Iraq, two more than the level several months ago. And the total troops there had already reached 132,000, and will climb in the coming weeks, buoyed by the decision to delay the scheduled return home this month of an Alaskan Army brigade.

The move is in response to the escalating violence in Baghdad and the new troop levels could remain intact for much of next year.

"You're going to see that spike, that is a sustained spike, for a while, and you're going to still have force rotations that take place," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, adding that the increases could push totals above 135,000 when brigades overlap as they are moving in and out of the country in the coming months.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072800962.html

[partylessinOhio]

1. Wasn't that Mission Accomplished?

:sarcasm:


Pray for the families of more dead soldiers.

[MADem]

2. I can imagine the morale...a four month extension during the hottest

months of the year, in a place you don't want to be.

Those poor Alaskan guard members. They gotta be pissed off.