Starting to look a lot like an election year.
Or are we going to need those troops elswhere?
America to cut troops in Iraq by one fifth
By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 19/01/2004)
The United States military is to cut troop strengths in Iraq by a
fifth, from 130,000 to 105,000, as commanders begin the largest
rotation of men and equipment in American history.
The reduction in overall troop numbers did not signal a lessening of
US military might in the country, a senior military officer said.
Instead, Pentagon chiefs would be consolidating assets scattered
across the Gulf inside Iraq itself.
Heavy infantry and Marines will replace armoured units that have until
now provided the firepower to take on a conventionally armed enemy.
"While there may be a reduction in the numbers, it's not a reduction
in our capability," the officer said.
The next few months before the transfer of sovereignty planned for
July 1 will see a huge influx of Marines and part-time soldiers from
the reserves and National Guard units, equipped with lightly armoured
infantry vehicles.
The rotation of that many men and machines is the largest such
movement any US military commander can recall, dwarfing even the troop
rotations of the Second World War.
The rotation will also be the largest and most perilous deployment
faced by reservists - weekend warriors from America's heartlands -
since the Vietnam War.
The driving philosophy is to bring more sensitivity and responsiveness
to the problem of fighting the insurgency centred on the Sunni
triangle near Baghdad, while winning hearts and minds elsewhere in the
country, as the interim government takes charge.
To that end, the US military presence in Baghdad itself is about to be
dramatically scaled back.
The expectation is that after "Operation Iraqi Freedom 2" is in place,
the coalition forces will be better poised to fight a series of
smaller, sharper engagements with elusive attackers.
Marine commanders have already vowed to show more subtlety than the
regular army units they will replace, publicly disparaging such
tactics as calling in air strikes.
Reserve units, though usually older, less fit and less experienced
than regular troops, are thought to bring other skills to bear from
their civilian lives, where many are policemen, teachers, firemen and
the like.
Unspoken, behind all the military changes, is the political need to
avoid US casualties - which crossed the 500 dead mark (including
combat casualties and accidents) at the weekend.
Senior officials planning George W Bush's re-election campaign admit
that US death tolls remain the yardstick by which ordinary Americans
judge the success of events in Iraq.
The President, in his annual State of the Union Address tomorrow, will
say the invasion of Iraq has made America safer, pointing to the
recent decision of Libya to abandon banned weapons programmes, but
warn that much remains to be done to make the US safe.
The most visible changes in Iraq will see the removal of most heavy
armoured units, equipped with the tanks and howitzers used to win wars
against other armies, but of far less use in the complex operations of
an occupation.
The number of Apache attack helicopters is to drop from 150 to 100,
while the number of Hawk helicopters is to shrink from 350 to 200.
Pilots have had to adjust their tactics in Iraq in response to the
growing sophistication of insurgent attacks against helicopters. The
attacks, involving rocket-propelled grenades and shoulder launched
ground-to-air missiles, have downed nine military helicopters since
Oct 25, killing 49 soldiers.
Much of the reduction in troops will be seen in the north of Iraq,
where Kurdish militia serve as coalition allies. The number of troops
in the north will drop from 19,000 to 9,500.
A senior military officer said reductions were possible because
"frankly we don't see a regeneration of [the enemy's] offensive
capability any time soon".
US officials in Baghdad said the number of attacks on coalition forces
had fallen sharply since November.
In Basra yesterday, two British soldiers escaped serious injury when a
roadside bomb detonated beside their vehicle while they were on a
routine mission. They suffered minor injuries and are back on duty.
Last night, 13 people were injured, one seriously, in a bomb blast
near a religious site in the Shi'ite city of Karbala in central Iraq.
.
|
|
| User: "Never anonymous Bud" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
19 Jan 2004 02:25:02 AM |
|
|
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer targets to shot and bomb.
To reply by email, remove the XYZ.
Lumber Cartel (tinlc) #2063. Spam this account at your own risk.
This sig censored by the Office of Home and Land Insecurity....
.
|
|
|
| User: "dreamwalker" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
19 Jan 2004 11:12:37 PM |
|
|
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the people of Iraq to stand on their
own.
To reply by email, remove the XYZ.
Lumber Cartel (tinlc) #2063. Spam this account at your own risk.
This sig censored by the Office of Home and Land Insecurity....
.
|
|
|
| User: "TonyZ2001" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
20 Jan 2004 07:02:03 AM |
|
|
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as fighting
continues.
Tony
.
|
|
|
| User: "Woodswun" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
20 Jan 2004 06:07:32 PM |
|
|
In article <20040120080203.19898.00000349@mb-m17.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Johnathan McDonald" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
21 Jan 2004 03:55:45 PM |
|
|
(Woodswun) wrote in message news:<8pjPb.64623$Su5.18071@twister.nyroc.rr.com>...
In article <20040120080203.19898.00000349@mb-m17.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
You cannot force a people who have not ran any type of form of
democracy and think that they are able to catch-on and run with it
soon.
The U.S. army has in the past been a great 'do the job and go' policy,
they have no experience in occupying a foreign religious land and
trying to convert the mostly uneducated people to run a complex system
of gov.
Did anyone see the Barbarians series on the History channel this week?
Much of this process of foreigners that are forced or migrate to other
cultures end up fighting them ( this is prefaced as only some of the
cases in history; Goths, 'Late' Huns etc...). Cultures need not to
clash for people to live peacefully in the same area. If one asks why
so many diverse cultures get along (temporaly) in the U.S.A. it is
because most have assimilated to an American culture. The
balkinization that was described in the 2000 census shows us now more
than ever the people that are coming, to the U.S.A., are not
assimilating as should be the plan, to run a sufficient society.
Biblical linkage -> Babylon and the confusing tongues comes to mind.
Woods
.
|
|
|
| User: "WH" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
23 Jan 2004 01:20:37 PM |
|
|
"Michael Johnathan McDonald" <abookoflife@yahoo.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:dd3256f0.0401211355.6e22dec2@posting.google.com...
woodswun@tepidmail.com (Woodswun) wrote in message
news:<8pjPb.64623$Su5.18071@twister.nyroc.rr.com>...
In article <20040120080203.19898.00000349@mb-m17.aol.com>,
tonyz2001@aol.com (TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole',
(jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the
Baathists to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed
to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so
we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
You cannot force a people who have not ran any type of form of
democracy and think that they are able to catch-on and run with it
soon.
The U.S. army has in the past been a great 'do the job and go' policy,
they have no experience in occupying a foreign religious land and
trying to convert the mostly uneducated people to run a complex system
of gov.
Iraqi's are not uneducated you fuckin' idiot!
WH
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Grantland" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
21 Jan 2004 05:06:59 PM |
|
|
(Michael Johnathan McDonald) wrote:
clash for people to live peacefully in the same area. If one asks why
so many diverse cultures get along (temporaly) in the U.S.A. it is
because most have assimilated to an American culture. The
The *only* way for diverse cultures to peacefully co-exist is maximum
freedom and equality under the (righteous and rigorous) Law. That is
the first, the last and the whole of the Torah. All the rest is
dross.
Grantland
(Torah Expert)
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Johnathan McDonald" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
22 Jan 2004 12:57:12 PM |
|
|
(Grantland) wrote in message news:<400f04eb.810552142@ct-news.iafrica.com>...
abookoflife@yahoo.com (Michael Johnathan McDonald) wrote:
clash for people to live peacefully in the same area. If one asks why
so many diverse cultures get along (temporaly) in the U.S.A. it is
because most have assimilated to an American culture. The
The *only* way for diverse cultures to peacefully co-exist is maximum
freedom and equality under the (righteous and rigorous) Law. That is
the first, the last and the whole of the Torah. All the rest is
dross.
Grantland
(Torah Expert)
Sounds correct:
Grantland, do you have the place this is found. i.e. what Chapter and
verse, please.
"That is the first, the last and the whole of the Torah"
this monumental statement is telling the reader that the specific
preceding sentence or thought placed above this sentence is the most
important message that the writer is telling his/her audience.
To make a clarification: the definite article is used for the
clarification of the term that achieves this ultimate objective (law).
Defin. art. 'the' (...) Law.
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "TonyZ2001" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
21 Jan 2004 06:10:46 AM |
|
|
woodswun@tepidmail.com
wrote:
tonyz2001@aol.com (TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists
to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
Ok, so you suggest that we stay there how long?
Tony
.
|
|
|
| User: "Woodswun" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
21 Jan 2004 06:27:24 PM |
|
|
In article <20040121071046.27224.00000482@mb-m11.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
woodswun@tepidmail.com
wrote:
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists
to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
Ok, so you suggest that we stay there how long?
Nice try, but if you recall I was stating that we'd be getting ourselves into a
mess from the getgo. If Bush had any foresight, he'd at least have kept Saddam
hamstrung until he (meaning Bush) got his act together in Afghanistan (which,
btw, we're still having problems containing).
Woods
.
|
|
|
| User: "TonyZ2001" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
22 Jan 2004 06:21:59 AM |
|
|
:
wrote:
tonyz2001@aol.com (TonyZ2001) wrote:
wrote:
tonyz2001@aol.com (TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists
to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so
we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
Ok, so you suggest that we stay there >>how long?
Nice try,
Yes, I know you have no solution, you only know how to attack our President.
Thanks for showing this once again.
Tony
.
|
|
|
| User: "Woodswun" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
22 Jan 2004 06:05:11 PM |
|
|
In article <20040122072159.21861.00000404@mb-m14.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
:
wrote:
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
wrote:
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists
to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so
we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
Ok, so you suggest that we stay there >>how long?
Nice try,
Yes, I know you have no solution, you only know how to attack our President.
Thanks for showing this once again.
I did have a solution - focus on one goal at a time. Saddam was not an imminent
threat, as we all know, so it was not necessary to go in with guns blazing -
either with or without the UN.
Woods
.
|
|
|
| User: "Dani" |
|
| Title: Re: Troop cut by 1/5 |
23 Jan 2004 10:45:35 PM |
|
|
On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 00:05:11 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <20040122072159.21861.00000404@mb-m14.aol.com>, (TonyZ2001) wrote:
:
wrote:
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
wrote:
(TonyZ2001) wrote:
"dreamwalker"
wrote:
"Never anonymous Bud" <newskat@katxyzkave.net> wrote in message
news:535n009fcd2j6kaluespglnf7h66d4d10m@4ax.com...
While still snuggled in a 'spider hole', (jha_amin)
scribbled:
America to cut troops in Iraq by one >> >fifth
Good plan. That gives the Iraqis fewer >>targets to shot and bomb.
Excellent plan. Soon it'll be time for the >people of Iraq to stand on
their
own.
Yeah, but done too soon it will only allow for the return of the Baathists
to
power.
Funny how we found it neccessary to stay in Japan and Germany for years
after
the bullets stopped flying, yet we are rushing to get out of Iraq as
fighting
continues.
Not really - we didn't have a good plan for controlling Iraq and failed to
anticipate the resistance of the Iraqi population. IOW - it's hard, so
we're
giving up ahead of schedule.
Woods
Ok, so you suggest that we stay there >>how long?
Nice try,
Yes, I know you have no solution, you only know how to attack our President.
Thanks for showing this once again.
I did have a solution - focus on one goal at a time. Saddam was not an imminent
threat, as we all know, so it was not necessary to go in with guns blazing -
either with or without the UN.
Bingo Woods!
No doubt. Plain and simple and bloody obvious.
Dani
Woods
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
