GI Special 5E5: "Hope Fades" [ May 5, 2007 ]

Thomas F. Barton
For U.S. troops, just walking a simple foot patrol through this small, trash-strewn city 30 miles north of Baghdad has become unthinkable.If the Americans spend longer than 10 minutes in one place, a sniper will track them down and begin shooting.U.S. commanders in these areas lack the manpower to defeat insurgents or protect the locals. On most days there are fewer than 50 U.S. troops in Tarmiyah, a city of about 30,000, many of them angry and disenfranchised Sunnis. Their goal is to keep the enemy off-balance, with periodic raids.It's the best they can hope for under the new U.S. "surge strategy," which some U.S. officers in Iraq say does little more than chase insurgents from one part of the country to another.
continua / continued

Stress on Troops Adds to US Hurdles in Iraq

The detailed mental health survey of troops in Iraq released by the Pentagon on Friday highlights a growing worry for the United States as it struggles to bring order to Baghdad: the high level of combat stress suffered during lengthy and repeated tours. The report suggested that extended tours and multiple deployments, among other policy decisions, could escalate anger and increase the likelihood that soldiers or marines lash out at civilians, or defy military ethics.

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