Surge, Part Deux

by: Richard Allen Smith

Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 19:28:59 PM EST


Hey, Secretary Gates! Over here! Yeah, we're still fighting a war over here, Sir.  Do you think we could get some help?

President Bush has approved the deployment of 3,200 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan to help the NATO-led security effort in the south and to increase the number of trainers for the Afghan army and police.

Awesome! So here in the RGWOT (You know. Where the (R)terrorists, (R)evildoers, (R)Al-Qaeda and (R)people who planned 9/11 are?) where we have been fighting for over six years now, we're getting 16% of what was sent to Iraq this time last year. Nice.

Oh, and anyone up for a game of Whack-a-mole?

Morrell says about 2,200 of the Marines will be a combat unit, available for NATO missions in southern Afghanistan, where alliance forces from other nations have been struggling to control Taliban influence and infiltration by al-Qaida units based in Pakistan...The arrival of the Marines could free up more than 1,000 U.S. Army troops who have been on loan to NATO in the south. Those soldiers could return to Eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. forces have the lead responsibility. That could help solidify security gains in the east, and also get better control of that part of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

And on a personal note, who might those U.S. Army troops be?
Richard Allen Smith :: Surge, Part Deux
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Surge, Part Deux | 6 comments
The sad thing... (0.00 / 0)

... about this surge is that it is just a tactic to get NATO troops to commit more troops to Afghanistan. Is "Use our troops" the new "support our troops"?

PENTAGON (AP) - The Pentagon is sending about 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan, but it warns that NATO must pick up the slack when they leave at the end of the year.

Kind of like saying "Since you won't give us troops, we will put in our own troops, but you need to replace them."

Brian

I love this line: (0.00 / 0)
(From the above-referenced VOA story)

The Pentagon describes the deployment as a "one time, extraordinary" event.

 One time? Extraordinary?

 Deploying 3,200 Americans is extraordinary?

 Who the hell do they think they are kidding? 3,200 is the equivalent of one brigade!

 It's just another crack in the facade of Bush's version of the GWOT, the one in which Iraq is the central theater.

 

(Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff) Morrell says it was difficult for the U.S. military to find the extra combat troops for Afghanistan, but he says improvements in security in Iraq, particularly in the west where the marines are in command, freed up some units for this deployment. Still, he stressed that the United States does not plan to continue with this additional commitment after this deployment ends.

 Why? Because our Armed Forces (Army/USMC in particular) are being run into the dirt!

 And the beat goes on...America can barely meet the needs of the RGWOT (a term I love, BTW, thanks Brandon), Iraq, Korea and so forth.

 That said, perhaps 3,200 IS extraordinary. We're getting to the point where having a single brigade worth of Marines is newsworthy.

 I just hope we don't start fighting Iran - we'll be calling up the Salvation Army Reserve if that happens.

 

Deploying 3,200 Americans is extraordinary? (0.00 / 0)

It is when we deploy them to Afghanistan evidentially.

Brian

[ Parent ]
On the lack of personnel... (0.00 / 0)
...I would usually find a comment like this pretty funny:

I just hope we don't start fighting Iran - we'll be calling up the Salvation Army Reserve if that happens.

But somehow it's just too depressing to think about the dudes who dress up like Santa and ring the bell next to the red can fighting the Quds force.

[ Parent ]
I (0.00 / 0)
Was in Oruzagan last year. I have never fought that hard. I fired my weapon mre times there than i have ever fiered it in Iraq. This is a joke compared to that. In Afghanistan a battalion is incharge of 200KM in Iraq they are in charge of 3KM. How the hell are you supposed to cover all that ground. Why is the surge into Iraq?
I (0.00 / 0)
Was in Oruzagan last year. I have never fought that hard. I fired my weapon mre times there than i have ever fiered it in Iraq. This is a joke compared to that. In Afghanistan a battalion is incharge of 200KM in Iraq they are in charge of 3KM. How the hell are you supposed to cover all that ground. Why is the surge into Iraq?
Surge, Part Deux | 6 comments
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