“The 21,500 more troops to go to Iraq — actually may be 28,500″


The US could send an extra 7,000 troops to implement President George Bush’s controversial Iraqi security plan...


The US could send an extra 7,000 troops to implement President George Bush’s controversial Iraqi security plan, it emerged last night — as the country suffered one of its worst recent days of bloodshed when at least 100 Shia Muslim pilgrims were killed and scores more injured.

Gordon England, deputy secretary of defence, revealed that army commanders were requesting reinforcements beyond the 21,500 personnel already earmarked for the so-called “surge” into the capital.

“At this point, our expectation is the number of … troops could go above 21,500 by about 4,000, maybe as many as 7,000,” the official told the House of Representatives Budget committee in Washington.

The news that yet more men are likely to be joining the nearly 140,000 US troops already serving in Iraq came as Mr Bush insisted there were “encouraging signs” that his strategy was working. On Monday US forces suffered their deadliest losses in nearly a month - when nine soldiers were killed in explosions in Sunni areas north of Baghdad, bringing total casualties since March 2003 to at least 3,185.

George W. Bush can’t add any better than he can tell the truth!

Posted: Wed - March 7, 2007 at 08:10 AM