Bush and Dems Struggle Over the ‘Surge’

Posted on May 9, 2007

The Pentagon has told more than 35,000 troops that they could be headed to Iraq in the fall in order to maintain the “surge.” Meanwhile, House Democrats may decide to fund the war in two-month spurts, with an opportunity to cut off funding in July. The Senate will likely have to pursue a different strategy (see below).

AP via Yahoo:

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon on Tuesday alerted more than 35,000 Army soldiers that they could be sent to Iraq this fall. In Congress, House Democrats defiantly pushed a plan to limit war funding to two-month installments.

The deployment orders signed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates would allow commanders to maintain the buildup of troops through the end of the year if needed.

President Bush has ordered nearly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq to quell a spike in violence, particularly in and around Baghdad. There are currently about 146,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the orders do not mean the military has decided to maintain the increased force levels through December. The Pentagon “has been very clear that a decision about the duration of the surge will depend on conditions on the ground,” he said.

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