Politics > Politics-USA > Rightards advocate more troops in Iraq, but are too busy to go themselves.
| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
12 Sep 2006 02:07:36 PM |
| Object: |
Rightards advocate more troops in Iraq, but are too busy to go themselves. |
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/12/lowry-escalation/
September 12, 2006
National Review Editor: ‘People Would React Favorably’ To Escalating
Troop Levels In Iraq
In a Washington Post editorial today, Weekly Standard editor Bill
Kristol and National Review editor Rich Lowry call for an escalation
in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/11/AR2006091100879.html
Appearing on Fox News to reinforce the argument, Lowry claimed that if
Bush were to say, "we’re going to send two more divisions into the
city [Baghdad] and lock it down and secure it... people would actually
react favorably to that."
Kristol and Lowry state, "The bottom line is this: More U.S. troops in
Iraq would improve our chances of winning a decisive battle at a
decisive moment."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/11/AR2006091100879.html
Their argument is wrong on many levels.
First, there is no indication from public polling that there is any
U.S. support for increasing troop levels in Iraq.
A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that only 17 percent of
Americans supported increasing force levels, while 53 percent favored
decreasing them. http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm
Second, the argument wrongly suggests that violence in Iraq is
constricted to Baghdad. In fact, as the senior Marine intelligence
officer in charge of Western Iraq reported, the political and economic
security situation there is -- like Baghdad -- rapidly destabilizing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/world/middleeast/12anbar.html?ref=todayspaper
Third, escalation is the wrong remedy to the problem because it fails
to understand the root cause of the problem.
Increasing troop levels feeds the perception that the U.S. is in Iraq
to stay, thereby fueling the insurgency.
http://www.house.gov/list/press/pa12_murtha/pr051117iraq.html
Moreover, the numerous increases in troop levels throughout the
occupation have not improved security on the ground.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25454-2004Dec1.html
____________________________________________________
One would expect that if the rightards considered it critical to have
more troops in the Bush-created hellhole, they would volunteer to draw
weapons and backpacks and ship out themselves.
Harry
.
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