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Troop Surge in Iraq

Started by H Needles; Last updated Feb 28, 08 12:08 PM CST by K Schwartz | View history

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Troop Surge in Iraq

"If we surge and it doesn't work, it's hard to imagine what we do after that." -Frederick Kagan

When 21,500 additional troops deployed to Iraq in early 2007, President Bush vowed they would "change America's course" in the war. Months in, that promise is looking increasingly hollow. Has the surge failed? And if more troops go to Iraq, how long should they stay?

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Stories 41 - 60 of 71

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March 2008
- Bush Praises Iraqi Offensive
  
  Associated Press | Mar 27, 08 4:47 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - President Bush praised the government of Iraq today for the offensive launched three days ago against militias in Basra, painting it as a sign of progress toward the goals of the US war, the AP reports. Bush also criticized Congress for calling for troop withdrawals so the military’s attention could be turned to anti-terrorism efforts elsewhere, such as Afghanistan. More »
- Security Comes to Fallujah With Saddam-Like Iron Fist
  
  Washington Post | Mar 24, 08 2:49 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Fallujah, a hotbed of violence that has shown signs of stability, is trumpeted by the US as a success story of the Iraq war effort. But the security achieved there, largely the work of Faial Ismail al-Zobaie, the city’s police chief and a former insurgent, is the result of harsh, Saddam Hussein-style tactics, the Washington Post reports. More »
- US Air Strike Kills 6 Sunni Allies
  
  CNN | Mar 22, 08 2:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - US helicopters opened fire on two checkpoints manned by a pro-American group today, killing six members of the Sons of Iraq and injuring two civilians. The attack could exacerbate already strained tensions between the US and the Awakening Councils it employs, CNN reports. The US said that its helicopter opened fire after it spotted five people “conducting suspicious terrorist activity.” More »
- 'Petraeus Generation' Is Making Muslim Allies
  
  Newsweek | Mar 17, 08 7:45 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - US officers in Iraq and Afghanistan are learning to talk first and shoot later—a sea change for CO's trained to win by force, Newsweek reports. But their early gun battles only sparked insurgency and mired them in baffling street battles. Now, says David Petraeus, “You can’t kill your way out of an insurgency." A generation of US officers is absorbing Muslim culture and trying to make allies of insurgent foes to win. More »
- Cheney Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad
  
  AFP | Mar 17, 08 6:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Leading Iraq war architect Dick Cheney made an unannounced visit to Baghdad today, beginning a nine-day Middle East tour by promising Iraq the "unwavering commitment of the United States in finishing the difficult work that lies ahead." John McCain, traveling as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, simultaneously met with other Iraqi leaders in the capital, AFP reports. More »
- Violence Up in Iraq: Pentagon
  
  Reuters | Mar 12, 08 5:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Violent incidents in Iraq are up since January, according to a new Pentagon report. The rise is said to be a response in part to US-led operations against militants launched at the beginning of the year, and it includes more "high-profile" suicide bombings aimed at maximizing the number of casualties. The report called the increase a "short term" result of military offensives against al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents. More »
- Baghdad Blast Kills 5 US Troops
  
  BBC | Mar 10, 08 1:55 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Five American troops are dead after a suicide bomber struck today in the Mansour district of Baghdad, the BBC reports. The soldiers were patrolling a busy shopping center when a young man wearing an explosive vest engaged them in conversation shortly before detonating, said a military spokesman. Three other service members and an Iraqi interpreter were wounded in the blast. More »
- New Iraq NIE Likely to Remain Secret
  
  Washington Post | Mar 7, 08 1:46 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Intelligence officials may keep the results of a new assessment on Iraq confidential when it's completed next month, the Washington Post reports. The new National Intelligence Estimate will be given to Congress, but intelligence officials are gunshy about making it public because of the brouhaha that erupted when they released an NIE about Iran's nuclear program last fall. More »
- Baghdad Bombs Claim 54
  
  BBC | Mar 6, 08 2:31 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Twin bomb blasts claimed 54 lives and wounded 130 in a Baghdad shopping center today, BBC News reports. Two roadside bombs timed to detonate within minutes of each other exploded in a shopping center in Karada district, leaving survivors holding body parts and searching for loved ones. Violence in Iraq has seen an upswing this month after a six-month decline generally attributed to the troop surge. More »
- US to Stall Troop Cuts Over Iraqi Elections
  
  Los Angeles Times | Mar 1, 08 3:16 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - US troop cuts in Iraq will stall after July to ensure security for local elections, a Washington official said yesterday. "You can actually increase your own risk if you pull out too many simultaneously," the official said. "This is not a stall tactic." But Baghdad officials nixed plans for the summer ballots this week, highlighting tensions between Baghdad and provincial governments. More »
February 2008
- Sunni Fighters Growing Tired of US Neglect
  
  Washington Post | Feb 28, 08 12:06 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The mostly Sunni volunteer forces that have drastically improved Iraq’s security are losing patience with US handlers, the Washington Post reports. Desertions are under way in key provinces over lack of resources, political disagreements, and disputed accounts of US troops killing members of the so-called Sunni Awakening. “Now, there is no cooperation with Americans,” one commander said. “We have stopped fighting al-Qaeda.” More »
- 8,000 Surge Troops to Stay Put
  
  CNN | Feb 26, 08 6:38 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - More than a quarter of the extra troops sent to Iraq during the surge will stay in the war zone and not return to the US this summer as previously planned, the Pentagon has revealed. Some 8,000 of the 30,000 surge troops—including helicopter crews, supply units, headquarters staff, and military guards for Iraqi prisons—will be ordered to stay behind, leaving the total number of troops in Iraq at 140,000, reports CNN. More »
- Surge: Success or Standstill?
  
  Washington Post | Feb 22, 08 4:11 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The year-old troop surge in Iraq has Washington Post op-ed columnists at odds, with Charles Krauthammer saying it’s unreasonable to call it a failure and Michael Kinsley arguing it can’t be deemed a success. The former points to changed hearts and minds, anecdotes of emotional reconciliation, legislation that furthers a federal state and the good spirits of former war critics. More »
- General Plans New Round of Iraq Troop Cuts
  
  Times (UK) | Feb 21, 08 5:45 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - General David Petraeus is preparing new plans to withdraw American troops from Iraq on top of previously announced reductions. The US commander in Iraq said that after more than 20,000 soldiers are pulled out by July, he will recommend further cutbacks later in the year, he told the Times of London. Pressed to give a number, he said only: "We have a range based on various situations." More »
- U.S.-Iraq: Surge Exposing Political Tensions
  
  IPS News | Feb 14, 08
  
  WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (IPS) - Despite assertions by the George W. Bush Administration that the escalation strategy in Iraq -- known as the "surge" -- has been a rousing success, many of the problems of pre-surge Iraq still exist and, along with new issues, are exacerbating a tenuous political situation there.
- The US Troop Surge, a Year Later
  
  Washington Post | Feb 12, 08
  
  BAGHDAD -- A year ago in Baghdad: Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents owned entire neighborhoods and key areas beyond. Iraq's government was adrift, and U.S. commanders weighed the real possibility of being trapped in a full-scale civil war.
- 'Pause' on U.S. Troops from Iraq Draws Fire
  
  Baltimore Sun | Feb 11, 08
  
  BAGHDAD -- A year ago in Baghdad: Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents owned entire neighborhoods and key areas beyond. Iraq's government was adrift, and U.S. commanders weighed the real possibility of being trapped in a full-scale civil war.
January 2008
- Bush May Stall Iraq Troop Cuts
  
  New York Times | Jan 30, 08 4:49 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - President Bush is signaling that troop reductions in Iraq may slow or stop after this summer, reports the New York Times. Insiders say Bush is preparing Americans for the possibility that troop levels may be at least as large as they were a year ago when he leaves office. Troop numbers are scheduled to return to levels before the surge—when 20,000 fighters were added—by July. That would leave some 130,000 soldiers still in the country. More »