Pentagon pushes for more troops in Iraq - Where they going to get the troops I wonder? [View All]

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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061213/NEWS01/612130351/1001/NEWS

WASHINGTON — Strong support has coalesced in the Pentagon behind a military plan to "double down" in Iraq with many more U.S. troops, an increase in industrial aid and a major combat offensive against Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite leader undermining Iraq's government.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff will present their recommendations to President Bush today. Military officials, including some advising the chiefs, have argued that an intensified effort might be the only way to get the U.S. counterinsurgency strategy right and provide a chance for victory.

Meanwhile, the Army and Marine Corps plan to seek permanent increases in personnel because top officials in both services say that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources.

The Army also will press hard for "full access" to the 346,000-strong Army National Guard and the 196,000-strong Army Reserve. That means easing Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for reservists, according to two senior Army officials.