The numbers game only gets us into the same problems as the president's approach. We must be more thoughtful about what the troops will actually be used for. Any troops we add today would take a number of years to recruit and train, and so will not help us today in Iraq.
He recognizes that there MAY indeed be legitimate reasons for increasing our military:
We might need a substantial increase of troops in the Army, Marine Corps, and Special Forces for four reasons: to rebuild from Iraq; to bolster deterrence; to decrease our heavy reliance on Guard and Reserve members in military operations; and to deploy in Afghanistan and any other trouble spots that could develop.
But none of these reasons take into account our withdrawing from Iraq:
While such proposals are worth close examination, they do not take into account our withdrawal from Iraq -- which I believe must occur in about a year. We need to avoid throwing numbers around for political benefit and instead take a broader view. As president, I will carefully assess the post-Iraq threat environment and consult with military commanders to determine the exact number of troops we need and where.
In other words, he isn't just going to throw a number out there, see if it sticks, and hope we can develop a rationale for it later (like say, war with Iran?). Why is he going against the grain? Not sure, maybe because he is actually listening to honest advice or maybe he has a new direction for foreign policy. I don't really know. But I like it and I'm damn glad someone's saying it.
Crossposted at ePluribus Media.
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