The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article on whether Bush is planning a secret second surge in Iraq. He might be increasing the number of troops there -- up to 200,000 troops -- by redeploying more forces and keeping other troops in Iraq longer than their normal rotations.
The Bush administration is quietly on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, an analysis of Pentagon deployment orders showed Monday.
The little-noticed second surge, designed to reinforce U.S. troops in Iraq, is being executed by sending more combat brigades and extending tours of duty for troops already there.
The actions could boost the number of combat soldiers from 52,500 in early January to as many as 98,000 by the end of this year if the Pentagon overlaps arriving and departing combat brigades.
Would you put it past him? I certainly wouldn't. It's not like he has any trouble with going beyond what he is authorized to do. And it's not like the Democrats ever hold him accountable (let alone the Republicans). Well, since this surge is going so well, why not try another? I'm sure we'll soon be hearing stories of how much progress we're making in Iraq because of the new and improved second surge.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 6)
46. @ Sean (comment 13)
You say," Everyone was in agreement before we went in."
That's just not true Sean.
If Bush had been smart he would have played nice with Saddam... a ready made pit-bull... right there in the 'zone'...
He could have lifted sanctions if Saddam went after Osama Bin Laden... sold weapons to Iraq for that purpose... tanks and such(things we can easily 'bust'(hehe)) for all that sweet, sweet oil.
Shoot, we could have probably made a deal to guard the oil from terrorists while Saddam did the dirty.
Iran, faced with a now beligerent Saddam and the US Army would have been quiet as a mouse. The States would be swimmin' in sweet, sweet oil... and we could have secretly been trying to 'depose' Saddam at the same time.
Hezzbula(whatever) and the rest of that trash would have been poopin' THEIR pants in case Saddam's Republican Guard were gonna be knockin' at their door after Saddam had cleaned out Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
It should have been so simple, but ol' DuBBya had to kill Saddam because Saddam threatened his daddy.
The choice was clear... Simple Solution...or Simpleton's 'solution'.
Geez...now if only we had a bloody time machine.
pboyfloyd at 3:51PM on May 22nd 2007
47. Calm down. The story may not be accurate. Looks like a lot of Bush haters are jumping to conclusions. If it is anti Bush then the story must be true. Take a deep breath!
Burton Ellison at 4:05PM on May 22nd 2007
48. Your editorial opinion is just that, opinion. You should label your article for what it is: opinion... and a negative one at that.
Air America is not exactly an objective network, emphasizing a negative attitude and general lack of support for our troops. There are people who are on the front lines who deserve your unqualified support.
Why do so many of the commenters support a negative outlook and a negative result? You should be ashamed!
Peter at 4:52PM on May 22nd 2007
49. @ Sean(revisited)
Bet you you're thinking... okay smartass ... do you have a solution NOW?? ... well, as a matter of fact, I do.
pboyfloyd at 4:12PM on May 22nd 2007
50. Ok then Pbf, we are all ears. What is your solution?
Ken Berg at 4:22PM on May 22nd 2007
51. SEE WHATS REALLY HAPPINING
Turning The Corner In Iraq
By Steve Schippert
FrontPageMagazine.com | May 18, 2007
The progress in the past three short months in Iraq is unmistakable. Since General Petraeus has taken command of MNF-I forces in mid February, the convergence of developments has fundamentally changed the outlook in Iraq. While “The Surge” has dominated discussion – be it on operational tempo within Baghdad or withdrawal timetables within the DC Beltway – progress on several vital fronts is beginning to reshape realities on the ground.
As the contentious internal American political debate continues, our leaders and the American public would do well to acknowledge the significantly changing situation.
In Baghdad, for example, the over-hyped Muqtada al-Sadr has long made tracks for the more hospitable climes of Iran. The Baker Commission’s Iraq Study Group Report estimated the Mahdi Army (Jaish al-Mahdi or JAM) to consist of 40-60 thousand armed fighters. In the absence of its leadership, Sadr’s ‘army’ has splintered into the various bands of Shia street thugs they always were. Sure, there are exceptions, such as the particular hard core ‘extremist’ extra-judicial killing (EJK) cells hunting Sunnis to stoke Iran’s much-desired Iraqi civil war. But an estimated 3,000 Iranian-backed extremists in EJK cells still roaming the streets must be seen as an undeniable improvement over the tens of thousands recently under the Mahdi Army banner.
Iraqi Shi’a Party Rebuffs Iranian Direction
Additional bad news for Iran is the seismic shift of Iraq’s largest political party away from Iran. The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) began to fundamentally distance itself from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini, taking on a more nationalistic stance. It has removed ‘Revolution’ from its name – as well as historical deference to Qom - and is now looking to Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for religious guidance.
This announcement came just ten days after Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, visited Sistani in Najaf, Iraq. After the meeting, Larijani said to Iranian media, according to Asia Times, that “Sistani informed him that the US government has been holding meetings with Iraqi terrorist groups.” The Asia Times went on to say that the meeting between the two was of great significance, “reminding the world of Iran's close ties to the Shi'ite power hierarchy in Iraq.”
In fact, what exists is a deep rivalry between the revolutionary Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini and the traditionalist Grand Ayatollah Sistani, both claiming authority over the Shi’a faith. While the Khomeinist revolutionary Khameini clearly believes in Shi’a theocracy, the Iraqi Ayatollah Sistani believes that the faith can exist within a democracy without theological conflict. And while the Iranians work to spin the growing Sunni tribal rejection of al-Qaeda as Americans “negotiating with terrorists,” Sistani himself has always had open channels of communication with American forces and the Iraqi government.
Iran Evidence Turned SCIRI, Sistani Popular In Iran
It was through those open channels that the United States clearly shared evidence of Iranian material support for specific Sunni groups engaged in targeting Shi’a Iraqis in attacks. And it was clearly compelling enough to cause Iraq’ largest Shi’a political party to seek guidance from the traditionalist (and pro-democracy) al-Sistani instead of the revolutionary Iranian leaders.
While it is not known publicly what specific Iran intelligence was shared with the SCIRI leadership, the compelling details surely included such things as the information gained through December and January Baghdad and Irbil raids on Iranain Quds Force operatives. One official confirmed, “We found plans for attacks, phone numbers affiliated with Sunni bad guys, a lot of things that filled in the blanks on what these guys are up to.” Such detailed information proving Iranian cooperation with Sunni groups killing Iraqi Shi’a civilians likely proved compelling enough to the SCIRI leadership that Iran’s support is far less than advertised.
Indicative that what was announced is the tip of an iceberg of change, the announcement of the change in the new Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (formerly SCIRI) came with a claim that more profound changes are yet to come.
Sistani’s appeal does not end at the Iraqi border, as Iranians increasingly observe his leadership with interest and fondness. Some are “intrigued by the more freewheeling experiment in Shi'ite empowerment taking place across the border in Iraq,” which is fundamentally different in approach than the Iranian theocratic brand of dictated observance and obedience. The Boston Globe’s Anne Barnard reports that within Tehran’s own central bazaar, “an increasing number of merchants are sending their religious donations, a 20 percent tithe expected from all who can spare it, to Iraq's most senior Shi'ite cleric.”
While it is difficult to understate the significance of the monumental shift within Iraq, it should also be recognized that the decision to transform the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq into simply the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council was not arrived at with unanimity. Nor was it arrived at without heated debate. As well, many of the SCIRI party’s elected government officials have ties and allegiances to Iran that are unlikely to simply evaporate overnight. But a profoundly significant Shi’a nationalist transformation process has begun, and this is a very positive development – one good for Iraq and beneficial to American interests in the region.
Al Qaeda’s Forced Migration From Anbar to Diyala
On the Sunni front, the steadily increasing membership and activities of the Anbar Salvation Council under Sheikh Abdul Sattar has given rise to a new and formidable enemy for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Sattar’s Anbar Salvation Council movement, which was joined by many Anbar tribal sheikhs in rejection of al-Qaeda’s murderous ways and oppression and intimidation of local populations, served as the catalyst that drove al-Qaeda terrorists from their relatively comfortable perches in Anbar province. The sheer will and exponentially increased intelligence capabilities that the local tribal leaders bring to their partnership with US and Iraqi government forces against the terrorists in their midst has caused al-Qaeda to lose the initiative in Anbar, most notably in their former Ramadi stronghold southwest of Baghdad.
As the situation in Anbar began to turn increasingly sour for al-Qaeda, their defacto base of terrorist operations migrated to Diyala province on the opposite side of Baghdad. As was the case in Anbar province, al-Qaeda terrorists, led by Abu Ayyub al-Masri, used brutal intimidation and violence to entrench themselves within the new province’s Sunni population, targeting reluctant or resistant tribal leaders there and terrorizing the population into submission.
But the Sunni nationalist movement is growing, most recently challenging al-Qaeda in their new stronghold in Diyala province, which stretches from northeast Baghdad to the Iranian border. As in Anbar, Diyala tribal sheikhs opposed to al-Qaeda’s murderous means and theological ends have openly announced the formation of the Diyala Salvation Council, reportedly consisting of over 280 local tribal leaders. This opposition has existed well before the announcement, but fear of al-Qaeda retribution kept its participants underground. The threat of retribution is still a clear and present danger of those publicly taking the stand. But the Coalition presence in Diyala is growing ahead of predictably imminent major US and Iraqi military operations that will sweep through the province once ample cordoning forces can be put into place, expected by the end of June.
The public formation of the Diyala Salvation Council comes after the operation against al-Qaeda in which it was initially believerd that al-Qaeda In Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been killed by tribal forces loyal to Shiekh Abdul Sattar’s movement. While a man named al-Masri (“the Egyptian”) had indeed been killed, it was not the terrorist leader who also hails from Egyptian origin. But the confrontation sought out by the tribal forces should be seen in retrospect as a sign of growing confidence and operational capability in Diyala province. The open announcement of the official public formation of the Diyala Salvation Council is a natural progression of that confidence and a clear indicator of the will to eradicate al-Qaeda terrorists from Iraqi soil.
To be sure, its creation is no coincidence, nor is its similar name, and is evidence of the growth and popularity of Sheikh Adul Sattar’s Iraq Awakening (Sahwat Al Anbar) nationalist movement that itself emerged from the Anbar Salvation Front (later renamed Anbar Salvation Council). The Diyala organization comes under the Iraq Awakening umbrella as the national appeal of both the Iraq Awakening movement and Sheikh Sattar begins to take concrete form.
Turning The Corner In Iraq
At the end of the day, it must be acknowledged – particularly by American political leaders – that the situation is improving going forward, particularly because Iraqis themselves are taking ownership of the survival and security of their own country, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city and troubled province by troubled province. While the Sunni tribal leaders increasingly reject al-Qaeda and transform into the terrorists’ newest and most damaging new enemy, the Shi’a leadership also has begun to internally acknowledge the shallowness and duplicity of Iran’s stated support for them.
There is much work to be done, both by Iraqis and by Coalition forces, and much fighting lay ahead, particularly in the coming bloody house-to-house street fighting against increasingly desperate al-Qaeda terrorists who have lost Anbar and see the cordon beginning to encircle their new Diyala powerbase. Americans should be prepared for the necessary fight ahead.
But there is a corner being turned in Iraq by Sunni and Shi’a alike, and Americans currently engaged in the incessant debate on the Iraq War would do well to look up long enough to notice. To fail to do so would be to once again trade military victory for political defeat. We’ve been down this road before. When discussing withdrawal at this stage – just as the corner is being turned – would leave yet another population to the un-tender mercies of unabated terror and tyranny.
This is the generational test of our nation’s character. What we do or do not do will define us in the eyes of enemy and ally alike. Most importantly, our actions will lie at the feet of our own collective conscience.
We stand as a nation at the bank teller window, accessing our National Character account. The question remains: Will our balance reflect a deposit or a withdrawal?
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CHK4579 at 4:30PM on May 22nd 2007
52. As usual, American people seem to think that all problems can be solved in a 30 minute time frame, and that the media is "gospel" when it comes to the reality of the world. Hey, if you don't like what happens, blame it on "illegal actions" or some grand conspiracy to cheat you of your ability to choose a course of action. Why consider anything other than pre-conceived notions, after all, everyone else is out to get you...
realist at 4:36PM on May 22nd 2007
53. Your comment, "would you put it past him?" is a cheap shot. I would have thought it beneath a journalist. It is a sad thing that our guys over there are also the ones who make freedom of speech possible for you to express yourself, however poorly.
Jim at 4:47PM on May 22nd 2007
54. @ Ken Berg. (comment 49)
Well, for one thing Ken, the situation is way to complicated to jot down on a 'napkin' now.
For another thing, I'm amazed that you didn't come right out and say that you thought my first obvious (only to me) solution, wasn't just nonsense for 'whatever' reasons.
It would involve deep strategic thinking and diplomacy... which Bush is out of his league... as another commenter put it... 'we're here and they're stuck there'...
First I'd need a good look at the actual situation now, the actual 'strategy' now etc. etc. etc.
Bush and Co. got their revenge... but they have to go... we need some 'brains'... someone who doesn't stop thinkin' on Sundays would be a helluva start.
pboyfloyd at 4:48PM on May 22nd 2007
55. Corrupt government is the real issue. None of this would happen if this law were in place:
Any elected or appointed government official who commits a crime no matter how small or large is to be confined in prison for no less than 20 years. There is to be no pardon by any one, the president included; there is to be no parole. Each convicted criminal will do all 20 years and pay a fine of 4 times the money earned from this crime or personal gain to their family.
Let us Americans request/demand congress pass this law today.
Write your congress representative demanding this become law and watch what happens.
John at 7:05PM on May 22nd 2007
56. How ignorant you all can be. This President is doing exactly what he said he would do and we all agreed it was great idea. We have lost very few troops for a war effort. Go check Korea and VietNam if you think I am wrong.
Pres. Bush is doing exactly what no one had nerves to do in 1932. Our President in 1932 should have taken out Hilter and we would not have had WWII in EU. But no one had the guts. Bush had the guts and did it before this maniac took over the Middle East and elsewhere.
Grow up and get a life. He is doing fine dealing with a bunch of extremist Muslim misfits. The rest of the Muslim world hates the extremists also; don't forget that.
w5ku at 5:35PM on May 22nd 2007
57. IF THIS PRESIDENT IS THE WORST EVER, WHY IS OSAMA LIVING IN A CAVE, AND WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO NEW TERRORIST ATTACKS IN USA SINCE 9/11. ECONOMY AND STOCK MARKET STILL MOVING FORWARD. THINK, THEN WRITE. HE IS NOT THE BEST PRESIDENT, BUT HE IS STILL ALL WE GOT. GOD BLESS ALL.
RAJ at 5:33PM on May 22nd 2007
58. I think Bush has gone much too far playing God. He's put our country in a total disastrous situation and is responsible for our Troops being sacrificed unnecessarily. He's a total looser and has to be the worst president/leader our country ever had.....and we thought Hussein was bad, think again. Bush is just doing the same thing in a different way.
B.Baroli at 8:52AM on May 23rd 2007
59. I was nervous enough for the 52,000 troops that were already there, now we're adding another 46,000
All we can do is pray
Julie at 6:03PM on May 22nd 2007
60. I think what Peter is trying to say is "If you don't support the war, then you don't support the troops!" which is idiotic. If we invaded France I'm sure he'd scream (reasonably) for a pull-out and then Thomas J Gassett would say to him, "If you don't support the war, then you don't support the troops!"
lil_turk at 6:12PM on May 22nd 2007