Commanding generals in Iraq are asking for "several battalions" more troops (somewhere between 3000 and 5000 more people). They're also talking about extending the tours of more soldiers already there. They're saying the conflict has moved into a new phase -- the pummeling of insurgents in Fallujah is essentially complete, and now we need more troops to press an increasingly mobile enemy.
"Our assessment is that the insurgency remains viable," a senior military intelligence officer here said. "One of the things we see the insurgents doing is moving to areas where we don't have a lot of presence."Finally, some refreshingly candid quotes from military leaders telling us what we're doing right and what we need to do better, and none of this "we've broken their backs" cheerleader crap.
My question -- why are we doing this now? Didn't the pentagon plan for this? Did we suddenly realize that the enemy moves around a lot? And wouldn't it make more sense for the troops to already be on the ground there, so they can strike now, when they are needed most?
Or would news of more tour extensions and literally thousands of new call-ups have, say, certain domestic political ramifications for the administration if announced prior to November 2?
