More Marines headed to Anbar province(2,200 from Persian Gulf ships)

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - About 2,200 Marines are headed from their ships in the Persian Gulf to an undisclosed location in Iraq's western Anbar province to help shore up U.S. combat power in an area riddled with insurgent violence.

The move, intended as a short-term measure, is evidence of the severity of the conflict in Anbar. The insurgency is entrenched and well-organized in a province where U.S. soldiers and Marines are being killed almost daily.

Maj. Matt McLaughlin, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Thursday that members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit were "in the process of transitioning and moving" from their ships to a transit point for deployment to Anbar. He said he could not discuss specifics of their mission or exact destination.

It will be the unit's third tour in Iraq. It participated in the initial invasion in March 2003 and returned in March 2005.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq_military

[NOLADEM]

1. So, in sort of answering Kerry's questions about asking the last person to die for a lie

Apparently, these men are being asked to be among the last to die for a lie.

[rodeodance]

3. yes. I will say a prayer for them

[stillcool]

5. I don't know ...

are we at the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end? I so hope it is the latter, for everyone's sake.

[BOSSHOG]

2. "intended as a short term measure"

Just like the "war" itself which has now engaged American Troops for more time then WWII.

Our kids "killed almost daily."

"The units third tour in Iraq."

And Dems don't have a plan. Certainly not one that can compare with the gop plan.

[maddezmom]

4. key word: intended

:(

[daleo]

6. What is the point of this?

This will just kill troops and civilians to no purpose at all. It's just another way this is Viet Nam all over again.

[Kagemusha]

7. It's what they call a show of force.

It's what 2,200 deployable Marines on a ship are meant for.

[acmejack]

8. Cannon fodder?

Life is cheap when it is someone else's, eh?

[Kagemusha]

9. Basically.

Just with a higher survival rate thanks to training and flack jackets.

It's not like they aren't needed but, they're not enough, that's the problem...

[daleo]

13. There were plenty of "shows of force" during the latter stages of Viet Nam, too

Mostly, kids were dying while Nixon tried to show he wasn't "abandoning" Viet Nam. But it meant nothing but more body bags to the States and more dead Viet Namese.

[aquart]

15. That's the frame: "Just like Nixon."

Say it everywhere.

[acmavm]

10. So that only leaves 17,800 of bush**s 20,000 new troops to Iraq.

Apparently they're gonna try to find them where ever they can.

[SKKY]

11. It seems to me that they're trying to employ the Powell Doctrine, of sorts...

...the problem is, it only work on the invasion. We've lost this one folks. Let's do what we can and get out. I guess if we hope to do anything positive
to kill this America against the Muslims myth will have to be done in Africa.

[endarkenment]

12. Another final offensive is in the works.

Also note that troop levels are nearing 160,000, or nearly 30,000 higher than the average levels of the first two years of this criminal war against the people of the middle east.

This final offensive against sunni mesopotamia, unless it entails outright genocide, will be as successful as the other four or so final offensives.

[Stella_Artois]

14. Thank God, someone has a plan !!

150k troops have failed over more than 3 years. Its as clear as day this handful can fix the whole problem ! Home for Christmas !