The other “surge”

This is a deeply disturbing story that hasn’t received much attention:

No Afghan troop surge

The Pentagon has said that any sizeable increase in much-needed US forces in Afghanistan will depend on deeper troop cuts in Iraq than currently planned.

Military commanders, worried about a persistent and growing Taliban challenge, have said they require up to three more brigades, or about 10,000 troops, to fill gaps in a NATO-led force in Afghanistan.

But Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell made clear that relief in Afghanistan can only come from Iraq, where US forces now find themselves embroiled in a bloody struggle with Shiite militias.

"We really have to get down in Iraq below 15 brigade combat teams for us to consider adding multiple additional brigades to Afghanistan," Morrell told reporters Tuesday.

"So, not until we get to that point can we even consider that prospect," he said.

So, we can’t take care of business in Afghanistan because we are stuck in Iraq. This pretty much sums up the sorry state of our national defense right now and the total mismanagement of our troops by the near-criminally negligent and incompetent Bush administration.
How can anyone say that Iraq is not, by definition, a quagmire at this point? A quagmire that is negatively affecting our military operations in other parts of the world. We can’t afford to be there if that is the case. The fact that Republicans got us into the mess and are now doing nothing to get us out of it is a clear indication that they are not fit for political leadership. Before anyone casts a vote for a Republican for any position above dogcatcher, they need to consider this very seriously.