Many Soldiers Say Troop Surge a Bad Idea

Many of the American soldiers trying to quell sectarian killings in Baghdad dont appear to be looking for reinforcements. They say the temporary surge in troop levels some people are calling for is a bad idea.
by Will Weissert, AP

BAGHDAD, Iraq – President Bush is considering increasing the number of troops in Iraq and embedding more U.S. advisers in Iraqi units. White House advisers have indicated Bush will announce his new plan for the war before his State of the Union address Jan. 23.

Others insisted current troop levels are sufficient and said any increase in U.S. presence should focus on training Iraqi forces, not combat.

Spc. Don Roberts, who was stationed in Baghdad in 2004, said the situation had gotten worse because of increasing violence between Shiites and Sunnis.

Based in Fort Lewis, Wash., the battalion is part of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division. Deployed in June, its men were moved to Baghdad from Mosul in late November to relieve another Stryker battalion that had reached the end of its tour.

Capt. Matt James, commander of the battalions Company B, was careful in how he described the units impact since arriving in Baghdad…

But James said more troops in combat would likely not have the desired effect.

During a recent interview, Lt. Gen. Nasier Abadi, deputy chief of staff for the Iraqi army, said that instead of sending more U.S. soldiers, Washington should focus on furnishing his men with better equipment.

Some in the 5th Battalion dont think training will ever get the Iraqi forces up to American standards.

McCaffrey does support a temporary surge in troop numbers, however, arguing that flooding Baghdad with more soldiers could “crush enemy forces all over the city instead of just pushing them from one area to another.”

Pfc. Richard Grieco said its hard to see how daily missions in Baghdad make a difference.

“If theres a plan to sweep through Baghdad and clear it, (more troops) could make a difference,” said the 19-year-old from Slidell, La. “But if we just dump troops in here like weve been doing, its just going to make for more targets.”

Sgt. James Simons, 24, of Tacoma, Wash., said Baghdad is so dangerous that U.S. forces spend much of their time in combat instead of training Iraqis.

“Baghdad is still like it was at the start of the war. We still have to knock out insurgents because things are too dangerous for us to train the Iraqis,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Handly disagreed, saying Baghdad has made improvements many Americans arent aware of.

“People think everything is so bad and so violent, but its really not,” said Handly, 30, of Bellingham, Wash. “A lot of people are getting jobs they didnt have before and theyre doing it on their own. We just provide a stabilizing effect.”

Staff Sgt. Lee Knapp, 28, of Mobile, Ala., also supported a temporary troop surge, saying it could keep morale up by reducing the need to extend units past the Armys standard tour of one year in Iraq.

“It could help alleviate some stress on the smaller units,” he said. “It could help Baghdad, but things are already getting better.”

Sgt. Justin Thompson, a San Antonio native, said he signed up for delayed enlistment before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, then was forced to go to a war he didnt agree with.

A troop surge is “not going to stop the hatred between Shia and Sunni,” said Thompson, who is especially bitter because his 4-year contract was involuntarily extended in June. “This is a civil war, and were just making things worse. Were losing. Im not afraid to say it.”

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