Impeach!
12,000 more Guard may go to Iraq
Deployment order planned to lessen ‘surge’s’ strain on stretched-thin Army
MSNBC and NBC News
Updated: 7:24 p.m. ET April 5, 2007
WASHINGTON - Coming on the heels of a controversial “surge” of 21,000 U.S. troops that has stretched the Army thin, the Defense Department is preparing to send an additional 12,000 National Guard combat forces to Iraq and Afghanistan, defense officials told NBC News on Thursday.
“I think this was all concealed until we got through the election,” said retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a military analyst for NBC News. “There’s no way to sustain the current rate of deployments without calling up probably nine National Guard brigades in the coming year for involuntary second tours.
Gates indicated Thursday that defense planners expected the U.S. military commitment to last well beyond the timetable of early next year that was put forth in the Pentagon’s arguments to send more than 20,000 regular Army troops to help quiet sectarian violence. That so-called surge of troops created intense opposition among Democrats and some Republicans in Congress early in the year.
“The truth is, I think people don’t know right now how long this will last,” he said
Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17971410/
12,000 more Guard may go to Iraq
Deployment order planned to lessen ‘surge’s’ strain on stretched-thin Army
MSNBC and NBC News
Updated: 7:24 p.m. ET April 5, 2007
WASHINGTON - Coming on the heels of a controversial “surge” of 21,000 U.S. troops that has stretched the Army thin, the Defense Department is preparing to send an additional 12,000 National Guard combat forces to Iraq and Afghanistan, defense officials told NBC News on Thursday.
“I think this was all concealed until we got through the election,” said retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a military analyst for NBC News. “There’s no way to sustain the current rate of deployments without calling up probably nine National Guard brigades in the coming year for involuntary second tours.
Gates indicated Thursday that defense planners expected the U.S. military commitment to last well beyond the timetable of early next year that was put forth in the Pentagon’s arguments to send more than 20,000 regular Army troops to help quiet sectarian violence. That so-called surge of troops created intense opposition among Democrats and some Republicans in Congress early in the year.
“The truth is, I think people don’t know right now how long this will last,” he said
Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17971410/
