Malone LaVeigh
November 7, 2003, 01:15 AM
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1106-06.htm
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Published on Thursday, November 6, 2003 by the Boston Globe
Number of Troops in Iraq to Expand
US Force to Grow by Up to 50,000
by Bryan Bender
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has decided to dispatch thousands of Marines to Iraq early next year as part of a revised troop rotation that will swell the size of the US occupation by up to 50,000 troops during critical months when the United States hopes to hand off greater security responsibilities to Iraqis, senior defense officials said yesterday.
Pentagon officials say the new plan is aimed at adding manpower to improve security in the short term -- when troop numbers will increase from the current 130,000 to as many as 180,000.
Pentagon officials say the new plan is aimed at adding manpower to improve security in the short term -- when troop numbers will increase from the current 130,000 to as many as 180,000 -- but also meeting President Bush's goal of shrinking the force to 100,000 by the middle of next year.
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When I heard this on the "commie" NPR affiliate here, the only part they reported was that forces were coming down to around 100,000. Nary a word about the escalation that this really represents.
======================================================
Published on Thursday, November 6, 2003 by the Boston Globe
Number of Troops in Iraq to Expand
US Force to Grow by Up to 50,000
by Bryan Bender
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has decided to dispatch thousands of Marines to Iraq early next year as part of a revised troop rotation that will swell the size of the US occupation by up to 50,000 troops during critical months when the United States hopes to hand off greater security responsibilities to Iraqis, senior defense officials said yesterday.
Pentagon officials say the new plan is aimed at adding manpower to improve security in the short term -- when troop numbers will increase from the current 130,000 to as many as 180,000.
Pentagon officials say the new plan is aimed at adding manpower to improve security in the short term -- when troop numbers will increase from the current 130,000 to as many as 180,000 -- but also meeting President Bush's goal of shrinking the force to 100,000 by the middle of next year.
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When I heard this on the "commie" NPR affiliate here, the only part they reported was that forces were coming down to around 100,000. Nary a word about the escalation that this really represents.