No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

Violence Escalating in Baghdad - US wants More Troops to Bring Control

The Washington Post reports that the situation in Baghdad is deteriorating.

Reports of carjackings, assaults and forced evictions grew today, adding to an impression that recent improvements in security were evaporating. Fires burned anew in several Iraqi government buildings and looting resumed at one of former president Saddam Hussein's palaces. The sound of gunfire rattled during the night; many residents said they were keeping their children home from school during the day. Even traffic was affected, as drivers ignored rules in the absence of Iraqi police, only to crash and cause tie-ups.

U.S. commanders have described Baghdad's security as their top priority and have assigned several thousand troops to guard 200 sites and patrol neighborhoods. But they have also said they do not have enough troops to police the sprawling city or guard every facility that could be targeted by looters.

Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of ground troops in Iraq, said the roughly 150,000 soldiers under his command are focusing on many assignments simultaneously, including hunting for weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's missing leaders while also imposing order on a country the size of California.

"Imagine spreading 150,000 soldiers in the state of California and then ask yourself could you secure all of California all the time with 150,000 soldiers," McKiernan told reporters last week. "The answer is no. So we're focused on certain areas, on certain transportation networks we need to make sure are open."

What was the estimate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave before the War started? Two hundred thousand troops for an indefinite period of time? As I recall, the White House shut him up and disavowed the estimate, stating that it was much too high. Looks like it wasn't. And I am wondering how many troops we have on the 740 mile long Iran-Iraq border - or the Turkey-Iraq border, or Syria-Iraq border.
posted by Richard at 5:51 PM