Bush Hints that he Will send More Troops
Dozens Killed in Continued Violence

Bush seems likely to try the "surge" tactic in Iraq of putting in substantially more troops, perhaps 20,000, in an attempt to take Baghdad and clear it of 'terrorists.'

Hope springs eternal in the human breast, which is the only explanation for adopting this stupid idea. The Iraqi masses are now politically mobilized, and they are well armed. There are 27 million Iraqis, and some 6 million of them in the Sunni Arab areas. 20,000 US troops is a drop in the bucket. Some are saying the US should try to destroy the (Shiite) Mahdi Army. The Mahdi Army is an urban social movement, and cannot be destroyed by conventional military forces. Bush is about to take us on another destructive wild goose chase.

Bush will come to Congress for another $100 bn. for Iraq and Afghanistan (it mostly goes to Iraq). Bush puts this money "off budget" and then reporters don't count it as part of the budget deficit!

Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie suggested a new security plan for Baghdad, involving turning over patrols of more neighborhods to Iraqi troops. This has been tried before and it does not work.

Former appointed PM Iyad Allawi is calling for martial law in Iraq. Martial law is something you do when you have a strong army, and politics has broken down and threatens security. It isn't something you do when you have a green and ineffective army and the political negotiations are ongoing.