Bush decides direction of Iraq policy. more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Tellurian]

WASHINGTON -
President Bush has decided the general direction he wants to take U.S. policy on
Iraq and has asked his staff to work out the details as he wraps up a highly public review of the war and its aims.

Military commanders who met Tuesday with Bush sought more advisers to train the Iraqis, not more U.S. combat troops in Iraq.They also urged the administration to pour significantly more funding into equipment for Iraqi security forces, according to a defense specialist familiar with the meetings.

Gen. John Abizaid, top U.S. commander in the Middle East, and Gen. George Casey, the top general in Iraq, want more armored vehicles, body armor and other critical equipment for the Iraqis, said the defense specialist, who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush


...our own troops and their families are having to supply their own kevlar vests and steel reinforced armour plating for their vehicles.. because funding never seems to reach the troops. Why would "more" funding for the new plan be any different?

[rfranklin]

1. But this is a major source of income for the Iraqis! Selling arms and...

supplies to the "insurgents" courtesy of the American taxpayers.

[Tellurian]

2. Bush family trait...using OP's Money..

The usual solution, OUR money..

And the perfect excuse for cutting funding for crutial US projects
such as education, medicare and social security.

[sam sarrha]

4. we are on the verge of economic colapse.. the world will boycot us at any time now

[neoblues]

3. You answered your own question... more $$$...

If we do start equipping the IRAQI Security Forces better... it would surely be unfortunate if they ended up using it all in the ongoing sectarian violence. Maybe it's the Republican in me (yech), but I'm beginning to feel IRAQ should sign an I.O.U. for such military/security equipment... (payable in oil? now that does sound republicreepy)

They're going to inherit a hell of a lot of equipment and infrastructure/bases when we leave anyway; since much of the used equipment won't be worth the cost of shipping it back--hey, maybe that's an argument for us to leave sooner! "They'll equip-up as we donate as we leave."? (hmmm, needs work, doesn't rhyme well)

[Tellurian]

6. Bush creates wedge issue to demand more money..

Army, Marine Corps to ask for more troops

The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources.

In addition, the Army will press hard for "full access" to the 346,000-strong Army National Guard and the 196,000-strong Army Reserves by asking Gates to take the politically sensitive step of easing the Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for reservists, according to two senior Army officials.

The push for more ground troops comes as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have sharply decreased the readiness of Army and Marine Corps units rotating back to the United States, compromising the ability of U.S. ground forces to respond to other potential conflicts around the world.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16160871/

...what military has Bush spoken to? Seems like conflicting reports. NO?

[uberllama42]

5. I really don't care how much money we spend

I care about how many American soldiers die and how many Iraqis' lives are needlessly destroyed.

Edit: spelling

[Tellurian]

7. The point is...even though monies are earmarked for our troops

They never seem to receive it..The money is diverted elswhere. Probably, to Halliburton.

[uberllama42]

10. Yeah, it's interesting how that works

Of course I care a little bit about all the money Bush and his cronies are wasting over there, but my point is that there are more important things. I wouldn't give a shit about spending all that money if it provided all the troops with adequate body armor, or even if it went to making the lives of the Iraqi people better and reversing all the damage done by Bush's lies.

I'm amazed that the American public has not yet realized that all the money is going right back to Bush's donors. Don't people care that they are being stolen from?

[Amonester]

23. The American public (not all, thanks to CNN, but a majority)...

has realized that, but the Darth Cheneyous & his Bu$h Family Junta have no intere$t in any true democratic system. They own all our money.

[rodeodance]

11. gawd, that headline is a bonker!

....Abizaid has told the
Senate Armed Services Committee that troop levels in Iraq need to stay fairly stable and the use of military adviser teams expanded. About 140,000 U.S. troops and about 5,000 advisers are in Iraq.

The message to Bush, the defense specialist said, is that the U.S. cannot withdraw a substantial number of combat troops by early 2008, as suggested in the Iraq Study Group report, because the Iraqis will not be ready to assume control of their country. Bush is delaying making public his new Iraq policy plan in part to allow officials to work out the funding, he said.

Bush already has visited this week with State Department officials to review options, hosted a few outside Iraq experts, and met with Iraq's Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi. Last week, the president held talks with the leader of the largest Shiite bloc in Iraq's parliament, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, and with British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, the president's staunchest war ally.

Iraq has proposed that its troops assume primary responsibility for security in Baghdad early next year and that U.S. troops be shifted to the capital's periphery, The New York Times reported on its Web site Tuesday night.

[rodeodance]

12. bush will have no press conferences till his BIG speech in January:

..The White House first began suggesting the pre-Christmas goal a month after outgoing Pentagon chief Donald H. Rumsfeld resigned and Bush nominated Gates to replace him. Gates plans to go to Iraq shortly after he is sworn in next Monday.

Snow said Bush told his staff Tuesday that he wanted more information about the ramifications for the U.S. military, Iraq's internal politics, regional relations and other matters.

Bush showed no indication of his leanings.

"Our objective is to help the Iraqi government deal with the extremists and the killers, and support the vast majority of Iraqis who are reasonable, who want peace," the president said Tuesday, al-Hashemi at his side. He took no questions.

[Tellurian]

14. Pure unadultrated BS..

...this is definately WH spin in action..

"The message to Bush, the defense specialist said, is that the U.S. cannot withdraw a substantial number of combat troops by early 2008, as suggested in the Iraq Study Group report, because the Iraqis will not be ready to assume control of their country. Bush is delaying making public his new Iraq policy plan in part to allow officials to work out the funding, he said."

..whenever, there is NO NAME associated with a recommendation, you know the slant is PURE WH cover!

[SpiralHawk]

8. "Oh Joy!" - Republicon oil and munitions cronies

"Just bend over, and give us all your tax money."

- Republicon oil and munitions cronies

[w4rma]

9. Bush primarily considers the Iraq War a way to syphon money to his donors.

Just get out and let Saudi Arabia fund them.

This equipment just ends up getting stolen by insurgents and then used to blow up American soldiers.

[sutz12]

13. Geezus Mary, mother and god...

for decades the Repubs have been excoriating we Lib'ruls for "throwing money at problems."

So now their answer for Iraq.....Hey! Hey! Let's throw some more money at the problem!

Irony, thy name is George W. Bush.

[Roland99]

15. Can't spend money to rebuild an American city but we can spend billions on instruments of war!

FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!

:mad:



Why can't the Iraqis build their own equipment? Didn't they have tanks and such under Saddam? Or did the US military-industrial complex supply all of those then, too??


ARGH!!!

[Auntie Bush]

16. Isn't that why he started it in the first place?

To make ALL his cronies and contributors RICH. That's about the only thing that bush* has accomplished?

[VegasWolf]

17. More money for Haliburton and Exxon!! Who coulda' thunk??? nt

[Tellurian]

18. KR

[AtomicKitten]

19. We need to de-privatize this war

and quit dumping money into the pockets of Halliburton and other private contractors. They are pocketing a wad via overcharging and fraud and flushing the rest down the toilet by reckless waste, all the while our soldiers are scrambling for proper armor and equipment.

I hope the Dems put the hammer down on this freakshow of fraud and waste.

K&R

[Tellurian]

20. Well..

I think they are flushing huge amounts of cash into their pockets and have created a distorted
reality via the media. (Surprises me Baker mentioned the under reporting of the war in the review)

if you get the chance, watch Part 1 of this video. The 4 part collection runs 100 min.
It pretty much explains the effect this propagada has on the masses.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x9859

[colorado_ufo]

21. The picture -

to think, that could have been our President and First Lady. Sigh! We've got to just hang in there!

[AtomicKitten]

22. back to the future

Gore/Obama 2008

[MissMillie]

24. I don't suppose this money is coming from his pocket.... (n/t)

.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. Maybe he should start accounting

for the money he's already blown first.