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U.S. to Deploy 35,000 Troops in Baghdad for Elections

James Joyner
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U.S. to deploy 35,000 troops in Baghdad for elections (CNN)

The U.S. military announced Wednesday that more than 35,000 American troops will be deployed on the streets of Baghdad on January 30, the date of Iraq’s first democratic elections. “We will be out in force,” said Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli of the U.S. Army’s Task Force Baghdad.

As daily insurgent attacks continue in the region, U.S. troops will be coordinating with Iraqi security forces to protect the 7 million residents of Baghdad as they go to the polls, Chiarelli said. “The Iraqis will provide security, operate polling stations, count ballots and announce results,” Chiarelli. “The [multinational forces are] not involved in the election process. With additional security forces in place in Baghdad, we stand ready to assist with security matters as determined by the Iraqi government.”

Chiarelli also had a message for insurgents who would attempt to disrupt elections. “We will find you, we will watch where you move, we will listen to you speaking to each other, we will fight and we will defeat you,” he warned. “You cannot sleep, eat, move or meet without the clear understanding that you may be killed or captured at any moment. Cease your operations now and you will be choosing to live.”

That’s clear enough.

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12 responses to “U.S. to Deploy 35,000 Troops in Baghdad for Elections”

  1. Beltway Bandit Avatar
    Beltway Bandit

    This is pretty clear, too:

    The war’s worse, the insurgency’s worse,” said a senior U.S. Embassy official in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to talk candidly. “This is not going to be a short fight. Nobody should think it is.”

    The assessment reflected a new willingness among senior Iraqi and American officials to acknowledge that large tracts of the country remain beyond the control of their combined forces. More than three months ago, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi asserted during a visit to Washington that 15 of Iraq’s 18 provinces were stable and largely peaceful. Now, in interviews, he routinely refers to the situation as “our catastrophe.”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46375-2005Jan4.html?nav=headlines

  2. LJD Avatar
    LJD

    On condition of anonymity, the Washington Post, as well as a number of narrow-minded Americans, are determined to see the mission in Iraq fail, regardless of actual events.

    The most important point of this article is the message to the insurgents:

    “You cannot sleep, eat, move or meet without the clear understanding that you may be killed or captured at any moment. Cease your operations now and you will be choosing to live.”

    They have died in large numbers, and will continue to do so. The more peaceful Iraqis they hurt, the more they turn public perception of their “movement”, “cause”, or whatever. The Iraqis would have to be completely blind not to realize who’s doing the killing over there…

  3. DC Loser Avatar
    DC Loser

    LJD,

    What part of “The war’s worse, the insurgency’s worse,” said a senior U.S. Embassy official in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to talk candidly. “This is not going to be a short fight. Nobody should think it is.”” do you take issue with? Is it that you think it’s disloyal for a US government employee to state this opinion or that you don’t believe it’s worse?

    How much money you want to bet that in 6 months time the insurgency will be worse in terms of areas under the control of the Iraqi government and casualties?

  4. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Ran into the mother of a Marine about to deploy to Iraq today. She asked. “why are Bush’s daughters busy planning parties and not serving their county like my boy?”

    Spoke with a Marine vet who saw heavy combat in Korea recently. He said “Bush should be ashamed of himself. Hell, he should be ashamed to be alive”.

    I have a friend who wakes up screaming every night because she dreams her only son, a ranger in Iraq, is killed.

    Are they narrow minded Americans?

  5. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    (01-05) 16:17 PST WASHINGTON (AP) —

    The Army Reserve, whose part-time soldiers serve in combat and support roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, is so hampered by misguided Army policies and practices that it is “rapidly degenerating into a ‘broken’ force,” the Reserve’s most senior general says.

    Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, wrote in an internal memorandum to the Army’s top uniformed officer that the Reserve has reached the point of being unable to fulfill its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and to regenerate its forces for future missions.

    Is the General “Misguided?”

  6. LJD Avatar
    LJD

    Oh, Hi Asinine-San!
    I thought you weren’t talking to me anymore.

    I could say you were all missing the point until I was blue in the face, and you wouldn’t hear it.

    Point of the story:
    “35,000 troops on patrol for the elections”

    Your point:
    “The sky is falling!”

    I SAID “narrow-minded” Americans are DETERMINED to see the effort fail. Do you agree, YOU WANT to see it fail?

    Of course things are worse, the election is very soon. You would suggest that we play into the hands of the insurgents? Give them what they want? Do you suggest anything at all, or do you like to just put a grim picture on things for your own shits and giggles? This is “supporting our troops”?

    How much money do I want to bet it will be worse in six months? Are you hoping for that?

    …And on the issue of money, how much money has the muslim countries sent to Indonesia? How many moments of silence for the victims?

    Why is nobody asking these questions? Because “they” always want to see America as the bad guys, no matter how much good we do in the world.

    It’s sickening, and your commentary fuels the fervor. Nice job.

  7. DC Loser Avatar
    DC Loser

    LJD,

    You gotta stop listening to the talk radio shows, your emotions are showing those effects.

    Nobody here wants to see the US fail in Iraq. That’s a strawman you’ve constructed for your own argument. Nice try.

    Do you really think an election there now will solve anything? All it will do now is further divide the country along religious and ethnic lines. It’s too late to postpone the election because we said all along it will be Jan 30, and Sistani insists on going ahead knowing full well the Shiite bloc will gain the majority. Question now is what the Sunnis do since they’re likely to boycott the whole thing. And the Kurds are still sitting on the fence. And there was the interesting tidbit this morning that some of Al-Zarqawi’s people were supposedly holed up in the Kurdish area. I wonder how much Barzani knew about what was going on under his nose? Sometimes I think we’re way too innocent about the way politics are played in this region and constantly surprised by things.

  8. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    When they coined the term “blithering idiot” you must be the one they had in mind…

  9. LJD Avatar
    LJD

    The article was about a show of force by US troops for the elections, and a warning to insurgents. Period. How you make that negative, or anything other than what it is, well that’s status quo. Turn off Al Franken.

    So DC, you want American troops in there longer? Just wait until the Iraqis are completely ready, or until there won’t be a Shittie majority, or whatever unattainable standard you come up with next week. When hell freezes over?

    You guys are constantly a moving target, changing your argument to fit the situation, after 20/20 hindsight (what you think is 20/20 is probably more like 20/100). It seems you have no ideas, just criticisms.

    AS- Don’t adress any of the issues, just continue with the speeches. You expose your ignorance better than I eveer could. Keep up the good work. I liked it better when you were not adressing me.

  10. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    LJD,

    In your own words:

    >The article was about a show of force by US troops for the elections, and a warning to insurgents. Period.

    So where does this come in?

    >…And on the issue of money, how much money has the muslim countries sent to Indonesia? How many moments of silence for the victims?

    BTW, nice use of the English language.

    “How much money HAS the muslim countries sent”

    I guess when you are ignorant, it is good to have someone to hate to take your mind off yourself.

    Run along junior, back to the pit with you.

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