When politics kill.
People are dying in Iraq, both US and Iraqi, because of George Bush's domestic politics. Since the 2004 campaign, he has created a political situation where any real change in overall tactics is nearly impossible.
After blasting the Dems for years, he cannot reduce troop levels amidst the current violence without conceding the political point. At the same time, to increase troop numbers to the level required to meet his goals would be to admit that the original invasion force was too small.
That leaves the generals in Iraq with an impossible mission.
In Baghdad, US generals are expected to pacify Baghdad, a city of 6 million, the most dangerous city in the world, with 8,000 US troops. (+ 30,000 Iraqi forces for whatever they're worth.) (Another source 7,200 US forces, 42,500 Iraqis.)
As a parallel, my city is Houston. Houston is somewhere between 3 million and 4.5 million people and has about 5,000+ police officers. (and they're desperately trying to recruit more.)
(As another perspective, after Katrina, New Orleans (probably less than 40,000 people?) got a deployment of 4,700 guardsmen to restore order.) Think about those numbers for a minute.
George Bush will not send more troops because politically, he can't. He won't withdraw troops because politically, he can't. So, the situation is "stay the course" asking the generals to win a war without the tools to do so.
The current Operation Forward Together is a perfect example. US troops are not concentrated in four neighborhoods because that's the best plan, it's because it's the best plan with the forces available.
One of the many reasons we're losing Iraq is because George Bush will not admit he was wrong.
After blasting the Dems for years, he cannot reduce troop levels amidst the current violence without conceding the political point. At the same time, to increase troop numbers to the level required to meet his goals would be to admit that the original invasion force was too small.
That leaves the generals in Iraq with an impossible mission.
In Baghdad, US generals are expected to pacify Baghdad, a city of 6 million, the most dangerous city in the world, with 8,000 US troops. (+ 30,000 Iraqi forces for whatever they're worth.) (Another source 7,200 US forces, 42,500 Iraqis.)
As a parallel, my city is Houston. Houston is somewhere between 3 million and 4.5 million people and has about 5,000+ police officers. (and they're desperately trying to recruit more.)
(As another perspective, after Katrina, New Orleans (probably less than 40,000 people?) got a deployment of 4,700 guardsmen to restore order.) Think about those numbers for a minute.
George Bush will not send more troops because politically, he can't. He won't withdraw troops because politically, he can't. So, the situation is "stay the course" asking the generals to win a war without the tools to do so.
The current Operation Forward Together is a perfect example. US troops are not concentrated in four neighborhoods because that's the best plan, it's because it's the best plan with the forces available.
One of the many reasons we're losing Iraq is because George Bush will not admit he was wrong.
posted by mikevotes at
12:36 PM
3 Comments:
The scary part is I'm not sure Bush doesn't still think he has made all the right decisions. After, all, if "God" tells you to do something, the results, however horrific, would be "as it was meant to be."
By
Anonymous, at 5:25 PM
NYC has 37,000 police officers to handle a population of 8 million people.
LA, on the other hand, has 9,000 cops to police 4 million residents over a much larger area.
But Baghdad has 7,200 or 8,000 American forces to handle a population of 6 million, an insurgency, and sectarian violence.
Yeah, that'll work.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 7:14 PM
Bill, I don't think he's quite as sure anymore. That idea was based on the belief that he was somehow special and was chosen by god for greatness. As his legacy is being discussed among the worst, I think he may be reevaluating.
Reality Based.Thanks for adding the NY LA numbers.
It's just a preposterous political position that this is adequate. From the reports I've read, the Iraqis have several good and functioning 20-50 man units, but the majority still shy away from combat. After all, they're going to have to live there after the US leaves.
And again, people are dying because of this. The war has been lost because of this.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 8:47 PM
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