Wednesday, September 03, 2003

Money is an issue The CBO analysis of troop requirements is but one issue for Congress to contend with. As they return from vacation the budget issues loom large. Funding for operations in Iraq, the Federal deficit (recently forecast to reach $480 billion by the end of the fiscal year), pressure for Medicare drug benefits and an energy bill are among the issues most likely to absorb attention and become contentious. 9:18:22 AM    comment []

CBO  says we cannot sustain current troop levels in Iraq Reuters reported yesterday that Congressional Budget Office (CBO) studies indicate that with the present troop levels in the US armed forces, particularly the Army, and present unit rotation policies the United States cannot sustain the Iraqi occupation force of roughly 140,000 troops past the winter of 2004-2005. The US will either have to expand the size of the Army or reduce the occupation force to between 38,000 and 64,000 troops. Neither option sounds workable, especially short term. this report thus increases the pressure on the Bush administration to solicit participation by the UN and a larger number of countries. (Full report from Reuters) 8:49:35 AM    comment []

Now we want help The US is now going to seek to share the burden (read spend money and take casualties) in Iraq. As the NY Times reporter, David Sanger, puts its, this is a "...tacit admission that the current American-dominated force is stretched too thin. It also amounts to one of the most significant changes in strategy since the end of major combat in Iraq." See the article. I guess reality is beginning to sink in. So we are going back to the UN and specifically to France, Germany and Russia, the very countries most opposed to the American attack, and ask for their help. I'm not sure that we will be able to do sufficient groveling and pleading to get this to happen. It may take a little regime change of our own, particulary in the pentagon, to create the appropriate conditions for cross-Atlantic unity. Let's hope that all the countries can work in a cooperative spirit and improve the situation in Iraq. 7:53:18 AM    comment []