Pentagon directives show troop “surge” is not temporary

Apr 16, 2007

Defense Secretary Gates has announced the Pentagon is extending the normal tour of duty for almost all army units in Iraq and Afghanistan from 12 months to 15 months starting now. It is also going to re-activate four entire national guard brigades for another tour of combat duty without waiting the five years the guard is supposed to have between call-ups. They will be sent starting next December. The Pentagon has already reduced the time active army units stay in the U.S. before being returned to Iraq from between 18 and 24 months to only 12 months.

This puts the lie to all Bush’s claims that the troop “surge” in Iraq is only a temporary action. The troop buildup also exposes the Democrats’ pretense of opposing the war for the con game that it is.

Sending additional troops is not a way to leave Iraq or Afghanistan. It only widens these wars, lengthens them and costs still more lives – Iraqi lives, Afghani lives and the lives of U.S. troops.

This war will be stopped by stronger and stronger opposition from the population and an army that crumbles from within.