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Iraq
Bush to announce tonight, change in ROE
2007-01-10
Course, the headline used by Fox is
Official: Bush to Admit Iraq Mistakes

snipping
The new approach includes sending 20,000 additional U.S. troops to join the 132,000 already there. Their purpose will be to help "break the cycle" of violence to "allow for the type of breathing space that the Iraqis need to get the type of political and economic reconciliation we all know that's necessary for that country to move forward," Bartlett told FOX News.

"President Bush would not commit one additional troop to Baghdad if it weren't based upon a new strategy with new outcomes to be expected," Bartlett said. "And that requires two basic things ... one, there has to be more Iraqi troops on the ground — what we saw last time is that the Iraqis made pledges to bring in Iraqi troops that didn't materialize — and, two, and just as importantly, is that the rules of engagement, the places where these troops can go and actually conduct operations, have to be different."

Posted by:Sherry

#22  I have been meaning to say something about that ad. She has a fine, fine pair of tits. There, I said it.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-01-10 19:05  

#21  

twobyfour : No, did not see it, I don'tlook at them ads unless there's a purdy grrl.
Posted by: BigEd   2007-01-10 18:00  

#20  Let's wait for the action. Even if they are going to a shoot first and let Allan sort them out ROE, they probably won't say it... they'll just do it.

(or not, of course, but I don't see a lot of advantage in blabbing about it beforehand.)
Posted by: eLarson   2007-01-10 17:32  

#19  Here's the WH press release in advance of tonight's speech: Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq.

Doesn't exactly make me feel all warm and tingly inside: there's not a word about any new, more aggressive ROE.

Pfeh...

Posted by: Dave D.   2007-01-10 17:18  

#18  And Syria.
Posted by: Dave D.   2007-01-10 17:09  

#17  Better late than never. Still sounds weak. Any changes to the ROE that does not include opening fire on Iran is not going to be enough.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-01-10 16:50  

#16  I make it a point to click on the leftie / otherwise not-my-cup-of-tea ads. (From my home 'puter). Let the losers put a few extra shekels in Fred's jar.
Posted by: Seafarious   2007-01-10 16:38  

#15  If I was president my ROE to the General would be very simple and of course I would get a OK from the gen Pop here in the state in my speech goes a little something like this

"General Petreas, Your new ROE are WIN first second major is do best to keep US casualty low but make primary WIN happen" "if you need anything between here and there let me know I will order it and rally support, Victory is our ROE PERIOD Clear".
Posted by: C-Low   2007-01-10 16:30  

#14  H/T B5 comments
Word on the street is that our new first Muslem house member is giving the rebuttal to the president's speach tonight.
Posted by: Sherry   2007-01-10 16:05  

#13  Nope, all I'm gettin' is:

"Why mommy is a democrat" lol!
Posted by: BA   2007-01-10 15:37  

#12  No, did not see it, I don'tlook at them ads unless there's a purdy grrl.
Posted by: twobyfour   2007-01-10 15:29  

#11  Ah did anyone else see this ad on the side bar? WTF?

"How to Convert to Islam"
Posted by: Icerigger   2007-01-10 15:20  

#10  "Kick ass. And if you have time, take names."

To misquote Adm. Nimitz:
"If you're a conqueror, conquer. Don't pussy-foot around and worry about bruised feelings."
Posted by: mojo   2007-01-10 15:07  

#9  The right kind of change to the ROE? One that includes ass-kicking and name-taking?

These guys aint rookies anymore. They know who to shoot and why. Just let them off the leash, including their ammo dumps mosques.

And no more name taking or kicked asses. Just bad guys who show up at a morgue or at fertilizer plants with a hole in their gut would be nice. Don't return foreign fighters except maybe in anonymous zip-lock baggies.

Tap their cell phones and bug the mosques. Lay traps, set bait, play dead/injured and surprise them. Keep them guessing. Pay $200 for every tip that works out because it's cheaper than sending a squad out to look for clues. Set up a system so you could get tips without the tippers risking being exposed. And start using that MOAB or better yet a smaller variant. Let 'em know who's boss.
Posted by: gorb   2007-01-10 15:02  

#8  One can only hope that, USN, but if we take fire from a Mosque, we level the fucker.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-01-10 14:51  

#7  So can one hope that the "no more areas off limits" include mosques?
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2007-01-10 13:55  

#6  The right kind of change to the ROE? One that includes ass-kicking and name-taking?

Honestly, I don't care about the name-taking.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2007-01-10 13:52  

#5  Rules of engagement also to change so that there will be no more areas off limits to American forces.

Great! But, if they can't unload a round into somebody when they get there... what would be the benefit to simply being there?

I suppose if even if they DID loosen up that rule, they wouldn't go on national TV and say it... they'd just do it.
Posted by: eLarson   2007-01-10 13:44  

#4  From National Review:

Preview of tonight's speech [Mona Charen]
Based on a just-completed White House background briefing, it looks like the PresidentÂ’s new Iraq strategy to be unveiled tonight looks promising.

The Administration recognizes a lot of what has gone wrong, for example, that is was unrealistic to assume that political progress could be made while the security situation remained so ghastly. The new emphasis is on security first. Five new American brigades will be sent to Baghdad to work with new Iraqi brigades securing the capital block by block. Unclear whether this will be sufficient force. Rules of engagement also to change so that there will be no more areas off limits to American forces.

The President also plans to ask for a larger army – a little late and so necessary! It will be interesting to see how the Democrats in Congress handle that one. All that talk of supporting the troops. . .

Possible problem areas: the strategy still depends heavily on Maliki’s bona fides. They believe his heart is the right place but he has suffered from lack of “capabilities.” That’s a gamble. There is also a “regional” component to the new strategy that seems to rely on another push for Israeli/Palestinian cooperation (Rice is traveling to Middle East within the week). That sounds like Baker/Hamilton bunk, but let’s see what she says.

Still, most of it sounds exactly right.
Posted by: Sherry   2007-01-10 13:29  

#3  I would suspect that Maliki and company have told us to not interfere with Tater and his tots. However, we have proof that they are planning serious mischief, so we have told Maliki that either we dispatch Sadr or Sadr is going to overthrow Maliki.

That is something even he can understand.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-01-10 13:24  

#2  One can only hope so, Jonathon!
Posted by: BA   2007-01-10 13:18  

#1  The right kind of change to the ROE? One that includes ass-kicking and name-taking? Please?
Posted by: Jonathan   2007-01-10 13:15  

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