« How Can You Tell When Bill Sizemore is Lying? | Main | A letter from God »

December 14, 2006

Is McCain a Dark Horse?

Buried in the middle of a news report on McCain's visit to Baghdad is a very interesting quote.

"I do not know where (additional troops) will come from. I am told time after time that United States can handle other contingencies like North Korea and Iran so it seems to me that we can come up with troops to have here."

Could McCain be playing a high-stakes game of bluff with the Bush administration here?

When asked how many additional troops would be needed, McCain floated the suggestion of between 5 and 10 brigades. A brigade can be anywhere from 1,500 to 3,500 personel. So if we average it out at 2,500 soldiers per brigade we see that McCain suggested between 12,500 and 25,000 additional troops would be needed.

Interestingly enough, General Schoomaker, the Army's top General, today warned that his force "will break" at current deployment levels if the Army can't get thousands more troops as well as greater ability to call up reserves to active duty.

Noting the strain put on the force by operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terrorism, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said he wants to grow his half-million-member Army beyond the 30,000 troops already added in recent years.

Though he didn't give an exact number, he said it would take significant time and commitment by the nation, noting some 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers could be added per year.

Also out today is a report in the WaPo about the Joint Chiefs of Staff urging a change in war strategy.

The chiefs do not favor adding significant numbers of troops to Iraq, said sources familiar with their thinking...

If what General Schoomaker said is accurate then wouldn't it stand to reason that the Joint Chiefs don't recommend adding signifcant numbers of troops to Iraq because they don't have significant numbers of troops to spare???

So what is McCain's game? Was his statement about not knowing where the additional troops will come from a strategic comment or just a throw-away reply?

Posted by Kevin at December 14, 2006 12:58 PM