Ana Maria Corneja: President George Bush announced tonight that he would send 21,000 additional troops to Iraq, an unpopular measure opposed not only by Congress now controlled by Democrats, but also public opinion. The new strategy by the commander in chief contemplates 4,000 US marines in Anbar province, and 16,500 soldiers in Baghdad. The additional soldiers will bring the total force to 132,000 deployed in Iraq, where more than 3,000 have died since the invasion in March of 2003.
President Bush as rejected the recommendations of the independent Iraq study group led by ex-secretary of State James Baker and released a month ago, for a change in strategy in Iraq in order to withdraw troops by 2008. Senator Ted Kennedy has introduced legislation to require congressional approval of any troop increase. Reactions of Grant Smith, director of IRmep in Washington, DC. interviewed by Natalia Olivares.
Grant Smith, IRmep: We are going to see public protests, and the new Congress is going to feel it. Obviously Senator Kennedy and others have already begun a discussion about how to restrict funding an escalation in order to have a real debate about the plan instead of simply approving it, as they have previously in Congress. This is not the first time a troop increase has been attempted to achieve the objective of control over the capital city. The strategic analysis of previous military generals who stated that at least 300,000 troops would be necessary by historical experience as a minimum number to “pacify” or control a country the size of Iraq were obviously more realistic. There are many doubts about this new plan.