For those who haven't heard, yesterday the Pentagon announced that more than 42,000 troops will be deployed overseas by years end. That statistic alone brings little cause for alarm, but the fact that 25,000 of 42,000 troops deployed will be placed on active duty in Iraq is great cause for concern. But the Pentagon does not want you to worry, and they justify this move by stating that the Army soldiers to be sent to Iraq will only be replacing the 20,000 "surge troops" previously schedules to come home by the end of 2008.
So we the people are supposed to believe that these new troops are being sent to war to give the surge troops some much needed rest and relaxation. Give the math one more look, and it doesn't take long to find a surplus of 5,000 troops. That's right, replacing the surge troops will actually INCREASE the amount of soldiers fighting in Iraq.
So what can we do about it? My guess is that most Americans will accept the "troop replacement" for just that, and won't question the Pentagon whatsoever. To the rest of us who disagree with this move, I encourage us all to write letters to our Senators asking why a surplus of 5,000 troops were sent to Iraq, and what the Pentagon's plans for them are. Let us not accept half-hearted answers for after all, it is an election year, and our Senators work for the people of this nation.
An increase of 5,000 troops sent to Iraq under the guise of replacing the surge troops is morally wrong, and the Pentagon should offer each American an apology for thinking that we aren't intelligent enough to notice, let alone question, this TROOP INCREASE.
