Bait and Switch

[tw]

From CBS News of 11 Jun 2006:

Are American Troops Heading Home?
General George Casey told CBS News that coalition forces in Iraq will probably return home gradually in the months ahead, as long as the Iraqi government and security forces continue to progress.

The top American commander in Iraq would not say whether he will recommend a troop reduction plan during videoconference meetings with President Bush this week.

Mr. Bush has said he makes decisions about troop levels based on recommendations from commanders in Iraq, and Casey said on CBS' Face The Nation he is ready to give the president another update.

"I was waiting until we got a government seated before I gave the president another recommendation so we have some sense of what we've got," Casey told Bob Schieffer.

Once Iraq got a democratic government, then everything would be solved? Same reasoning was in Vietnam.
From Reuters of 19 Sept 2006:

U.S. General Sees No Iraq Troop Cut Before Mid - 2007
The United States is unlikely to begin cutting its troops in Iraq until at least mid-2007 as they try to stop sectarian violence from degenerating into civil war, a senior general said on Tuesday.

Army Gen. John Abizaid, who as head of U.S. Central Command oversees the war, said the United States might even increase the size of its force from the current 147,000, the highest since January. He also did not rule out holding in place U.S. units scheduled to leave Iraq in coming months.

His comments, the most pessimistic to date on a U.S. drawdown, come amid unabated sectarian violence in Baghdad between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims that has elevated concerns over civil war 3-1/2 years after a U.S.-led invasion.

'Bait and switch' occured year after year in Vietnam until eventually American forces were defeated. Thousands of American lives were wasted before Americans finally realized their president was lying.

Well at least they are not talking about getting the troops home for Christmas. In this war, the buzz word is drawdown. Different words. Same lies. Either we put sufficient troops in country to finish the job - 500,000 - or we admit defeat and get out. Current troop levels and current strategy is but another repeat example of Vietnam.