Joint chiefs all hate Bush's plan
The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate.
Sending 15,000 to 30,000 more troops for a mission of possibly six to eight months is one of the central proposals on the table of the White House policy review to reverse the steady deterioration in Iraq. The option is being discussed as an element in a range of bigger packages, the officials said.
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But the Joint Chiefs think the White House, after a month of talks, still does not have a defined mission and is latching on to the surge idea in part because of limited alternatives, despite warnings about the potential disadvantages for the military, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the White House review is not public.
The Joint Chiefs are very unhappy, that is not a good sign for the new head of Defense. Though I am sure he knew he was not going into a happy situation.
The Chiefs probably figures that the White House is either calculating the minimum they can do and look like they are doing something, and/or the Chiefs figure that 30,000 won't be enough to make a difference in the long run. Personally, I think both are true.
Jay