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| Iraq |
| 2005-11-11 |
| In the aftermath of fresh bombings yesterday in Baghdad and Tikrit, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) added his voice to those calling for a new focus. He said the emphasis up to now on rooting out insurgent strongholds through widespread, short-duration raids -- what he termed "sweeping and leaving" -- is not working. "Rather than focusing on killing and capturing insurgents, we should emphasize protecting the local population, creating secure areas where insurgents find it difficult to operate," the senator said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. He added that such an approach would require more troops and resources, arguing against the idea of reducing U.S. forces in Iraq next year. The persistent ability of enemy groups to move fighters around the country -- eluding raids or replenishing their ranks after taking casualties -- has put pressure on the Pentagon to demonstrate that U.S. tactics are effective. U.S. commanders have acknowledged a measure of frustration at needing to send forces back to some cities and towns where insurgents had returned after being chased out months earlier. But they insist progress is being made. They also say they already are pursuing a version of the strategy advocated by McCain and other critics. Indeed, for months now, senior officers at the U.S. military command in Baghdad have been using the term "clear and hold" as a shorthand description of their counterinsurgency strategy. The same term was applied by Gen. Creighton W. Abrams Jr. to his Vietnam pacification strategy in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which followed the "search and destroy" campaign of his predecessor, Gen. William C. Westmoreland. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #7 I know, call me a lurker newbie because I only recently stumbled upon this site. But, Iâve been absorbed with other pursuits, doncha know. Iâm sure that back in the late 60âs John McCain certainly made his grand father and his father proud. But to me, ANY man who is both the son, and, Grandson of U.S. Navy Admirals just HAS to possess a rather overblown sense of over-importance and entitlement. [ ( McVainâs problem ( but more ours, sadly)]. With all the flak that President Bush has been taking, the fact that McVain yet has to pile on with (most recently) âprisoner abuse issuesâ, of all things, just makes me furious! Being who he is, itâs doubtful that McVain had it that rough at the Hilton. The accounts that Iâve read support that. One would think someone like McCain would know what is at stake. He sucks! |
| Posted by: Asymmetrical Triangulation 2005-11-11 21:06 |
| #6 He is only saying this to get his name in the paper for something that has already happened. The numbnut wants to be president. As a fellow veteran, I appriciate what he has done, but the more wacky he gets as he gets older the more I wish the Vietnam guards had finished the fucking job. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-11 12:03 |
| #5 That's fucking brilliant! Too bad it has been policy for over a year. Otherwise, fucking brilliant. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2005-11-11 09:05 |
| #4 "Rather than focusing on killing and capturing insurgents, we should emphasize protecting the local population, creating secure areas where insurgents find it difficult to operate," Its being done* Senator. You're a day late. Go grandstand elsewhere. *opens video |
| Posted by: Cheng Theating1514 2005-11-11 08:52 |
| #3 I'm sick of POWs, the real heros meme. /Taking cover |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-11 08:12 |
| #2 His entire speech was pretty good, he understood we shouldn't be pulling out until the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, and i'm not talking just about the invasion. |
| Posted by: Uloluth Huperemp5848 2005-11-11 03:57 |
| #1 And he's behind the curve. This is already happening - but it couldn't happen until there were sufficient Iraqi forces to garrison the areas after a sweep. McCain must know this, the asshole. Fuckin' ankle-biter wannabee. I sure hope, for the sake of America, that he never makes it to President - he has too many faces... and I don't trust any of them. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-11-11 02:42 |