Surge

Call it what it is, an escalation, a term that seems to be avoided as much as possible. Probably because of Vietnam "escalation" that worked out so well. From Think Progress: War could last years, commander says. The new American operational commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, “said Sunday that even with the additional American troops likely to be deployed in Baghdad under President Bush’s new war strategy it might take another ‘two or three years’ for American and Iraqi forces to gain the upper hand in the war.” Novak: Powell ‘caustic’ over escalation plans. Robert Novak writes, “Former Secretary of State Colin Powell…is caustic in private about the proposed ’surge’ of 30,000 additional U.S. troops. Powell noted that the recent congressional delegation to Iraq headed by Sen. John McCain heard from combat officers that they wanted more troops. ‘The colonels will always say they need more troops,’ the retired general says. ‘That’s why we have generals.’” Novak adds, “Senior Republican senators are trying to get word to the president that any troop surge would be dead on arrival in I really hate to give Novak any publicity.