WASHINGTON — A new report urges the The Bush administration to bolster the
U.S. military presence in Iraq by at least 20,000 troops.
The Washington-based American Enterprise Institute has recommended a
surge of seven U.S. Army brigades and Marine Corps regiments. In a report
released in mid-December, the institute said the deployment should begin in
the spring of 2007, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We must send more American combat forces into Iraq and especially into
Baghdad to support this operation," the report, entitled "Choosing Victory:
A Plan for Success in Iraq," said. "A surge of seven army brigades and
Marine regiments to support clear-and-hold operations starting in the spring
of 2007 is necessary, possible, and will be sufficient."
[On Wednesday, the Bush administration requested a supplemental budget
of $100 billion for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. About 10 percent of the
request was reserved for training of the militaries of those two Asian
countries.]
The report was said to have reflected thinking by several former and
current military commanders. A leading contributor to the AEI study was Gen.
Jack Keane, a retired army general who served as vice chief of staff during
the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
"I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea," Gen. George Casey, commander
of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, said in Baghdad on Wednesday. "But what I
want to see happen is when, if we do bring more American troops here, they
help us progress to our strategic objectives."
The report, meant to influence President George Bush's efforts to
formulate strategy on Iraq, scheduled to be announced in early January, said
the additional U.S. forces would be partnered with Iraqi units and target
critical Sunni and mixed Sunni-Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad. The
institute said U.S. and Iraqi soldiers would remain behind to maintain
security after these neighborhoods were cleared of insurgents.
The authors said the recommendation marked a departure from the U.S.
military policy of training Iraq's army and police. Instead, the institute,
which has supported the administration's decision to invade Iraq and
Afghanistan, said the U.S. military would ensure the security of the Iraqi
population and contain the rising sectarian violence.
"Securing the population has never been the primary mission of the U.S.
military effort in Iraq, and now it must become the first priority," the
report said. "As security is established, reconstruction aid will help to
reestablish normal life and, working through Iraqi officials, will
strengthen Iraqi local government. This approach requires a national
commitment to victory in Iraq."
The expanded U.S. military presence in Iraq would require longer tours
by infantry forces, including National Guard units. The report said
equipment shortages must be overcome by transferring equipment from
non-deploying active duty National Guard and reserve units to those about
to deploy in Iraq.
Moreover, the U.S. military industry must be mobilized to provide
replacement equipment. The institute also called for a "dramatic increase"
in reconstruction aid for Iraq.
"The president must request a substantial increase in ground forces end
strength," the report said. "This increase is vital to sustaining the morale
of the combat forces by ensuring that relief is on the way. The president
must issue a personal call for young Americans to volunteer to fight in the
decisive conflict of this age."
