We are approqaching the fourth anniversary of this military bungle. Does Bush REALLY think 20,000 more troops will solve the problem?
On the day Hussein was hanged, the 3,000th American soldier died in Iraq. There are going to be a lot of unhappy widows and girlfriends when they realize their loved ones died in vain, just because Bush could not admit he was wrong.
And additionally he has never yet admitted that the invasion of Iraq was all about oil.
[b]The Australian, AFP and Reuters, January 11, 2007[/b]
George W. Bush has taken responsibility for the US military’s mistakes in Iraq and warned its leaders they must do more to stamp out violence, as he announced that more than 20,000 extra troops will be sent to secure the country.
The increase, which will bring the total US deployment in the country to 150,000, is seen as the last roll of the dice for the President’s policy in prosecuting the war, amid a mounting US and civilian death toll and waning support among Americans. In a sombre televised address, Mr Bush has admitted there were not enough troops sent to Iraq to secure the country after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime and that those who were there were too restricted to do their jobs properly.
“The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people and it is unacceptable to me. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me,” Mr Bush has said. He has also told Iraq’s leaders that more must be done to quell the sectarian violence between Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias that has plunged the country into what some already say is civil war.
But he also warned of the grim consequences of abandoning the country. “To step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear that country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale.”
Prime Minister John Howard has backed the new strategy as “sensible and realistic”, saying the only alternative was admitting the West could not win in Iraq. But Labor has said it could place Australian troops deployed there in greater danger. Despite the planned boost, Mr Bush did not ask Mr Howard to commit more Australian personnel.
In his address, Mr Bush has said “there were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighbourhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents.
“If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home,” he said, seeking to head off criticism of the deployment amid opinion polls showing most Americans oppose sending more troops.
He has said US personnel will be embedded with expanded Iraqi patrols of Baghdad, adding that they have been given the “green light” to enter sectarian stronghold neighbourhoods to deal with threats.
He has said commanders will now have the force levels needed to hold areas once they are cleared of insurgents. Previously, he has said, insurgents would move back into an area once over-stretched US forces moved out.
The new strategy “will change America’s course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror”, he has said.
But he went on to say: “Deadly acts of violence will continue, and we must expect more Iraqi and American sacrifices and casualties.”
Mr Bush has said he made it clear to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that his Government must act soon, saying that “America’s commitment is not open-ended”.
“If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people – and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act,” Mr Bush has said.
He has also vowed to block support flowing to insurgents and terrorists in Iraq from Syria and Iran.
Mr Bush, whose new plan calls for $US5.6 billion ($7.2bn) for the extra troops and about another $US1.2bn in assistance, has stressed that social improvements must accompany bolstered military strength if Iraqis are to get behind their administration.
The President set a November target for Iraq to resume control of its own security ? a crucial step towards eventual troop withdrawal.
Leaders of the Democratic Party, who swept to control of Congress in mid-term elections last November in part due to voter dissatisfaction with Mr Bush’s Iraq policy, have said the plan “endangers our national security by placing additional burdens on our already over-extended military”.
They called on Mr Bush to start the phased withdrawal of US forces from Iraq within six months, adding that the Iraqi Government would not act to assume responsibility for security until it saw America was serious about leaving the country.
“Escalating our military involvement in Iraq sends precisely the wrong message and we oppose it.”
‘Sensible’
But the plan has received warm support from Mr Bush’s ally, Mr Howard.
“It was a very clear, calm and, above all, a realistic speech, but he didn’t underestimate the challenge, he admitted some mistakes have been made and made it very clear what is at stake,” Mr Howard, who Mr Bush briefed on the strategy in a phone call yesterday, has said.
“The alternatives for the President were to announce what he has announced or admit the West could not win in Iraq. An American or Western defeat in Iraq would give an unbelievable boost to terrorism,” he has said.
He has said there is “no direct implication” for Australian forces in Iraq, but Labor’s spokesman Robert McClelland has said it could put Diggers directly in harm’s way.
“There is no strategy for dealing with an escalation in violence if it balloons out into other areas including where Australians are.”
Mr Howard has refused to speculate on a timeline for withdrawing Australian troops, but he has admitted it is “some time away”.
Australia has 1400 military personnel deployed in the Middle East, including 800 soldiers based in Iraq, most involved in training Iraqi security forces.
A security detachment of 110 troops is based in Baghdad to provide protection and escort for Australian government officials working in the embassy.
Meanwhile in a report published London’s Daily Telegraph, it is claimed that Britain is preparing to withdraw 2700 of its troops from southern Iraq by May, taking the overall number in the country to 7200.