MSNBC Breaking: Defense Sec. Gates says U.S. military to grow by 92,000 troops

He's gonna gain the trust of the Iraqi People. unfrikingbelievable

MSNBC Breaking: Defense Sec. Gates says U.S. military to grow by 92,000 troops

Gates looks to add 92,000 troops to military

Edited on Thu Jan-11-07 09:37 AM by IDemo
BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: less than 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON - At a briefing to add details about President Bush's new Iraq strategy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said he would recommend increasing the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years.

On Iraq, Gates said that "failure in Iraq is not an option."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also at the briefing, saying it was imperative for the Iraqi government to "re-establish civil order," particularly in Baghdad.

Gates proposed adding 67,000 Army soldiers and 25,000 Marines, citing an annual increase of 7,000 for the Army and 5,000 for the Marines until the Marines reach 202,000 and the Army is at 547,000 troops.

The Army already has been authorized to boost the number of active-duty soldiers temporarily from 482,000 to a maximum of 512,000, although it has yet to reach that limit.

LAT: 'Gated communities' planned for Baghdad

'Gated communities' planned for Baghdad
New U.S. strategy calls for creating zones of safety in the Iraqi capital, then working outward.
By Julian E. Barnes, Times Staff Writer
January 11, 2007

WASHINGTON — The military's new strategy for Iraq envisions creating "gated communities" in Baghdad — sealing off discrete areas and forcibly removing insurgents, then stationing American units in the neighborhood to keep the peace and working to create jobs for residents.

The U.S. so far has found it impossible to secure the sprawling city. But by focusing an increased number of troops in selected neighborhoods, the military hopes it can create islands of security segregated from the chaos beyond.

The gated communities plan has been tried — with mixed success — in other wars. In Vietnam, the enclaves were called "strategic hamlets" and were a spectacular failure. But counterinsurgency experts say such zones can work if, after the barriers are established, the military follows up with neighborhood sweeps designed to flush out insurgents and militia fighters.

The strategy, described in broad terms by current and former Defense Department officials, is an attempt to re-create the success military units have had in smaller Iraqi cities, most notably Tall Afar.

For the last two years, the military has been focused primarily on training Iraqi security forces. But under the new plan, the primary mission of American combat forces in Baghdad will be to protect Iraqis living in the city....

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