Escalating the Surge

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon has agreed to a request from our man in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, to send an additional 2,200 military police. Gates said the number would not count against the 21,500 combat troops or the 2,400 support troops Bush plans to send. Earlier, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said the number of support troops could jump to 7,000. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Defense Secretary: Surge Not Our ‘Last Chance’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2007 Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that if the surge goes badly, the military will probably move troops "out of harm's way." Why wait? He also said the surge is not the "last chance" to get it right in Iraq. Let's hope Congress stops quibbling and makes him wrong. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )