[A-List] Is it a 'Surge' or is it a troop buildup?

[Leigh Meyers]

Enquiring minds want to know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT4DTUYYLNg

Either way, there's no doubt there will be bi-partisan funding (see below).

Analysis: Iraq surge may be extended
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
2 hours, 40 minutes ago

The Pentagon is laying the groundwork to extend the U.S. troop buildup
in Iraq. At the same time, the administration is warning Iraqi leaders
that the boost in forces could be reversed if political reconciliation
is not evident by summer.

This approach underscores the central difficulty facing President
Bush. If political progress is not possible in the relatively short
term, then the justification for sending thousands more U.S. troops to
Baghdad — and accepting the rising U.S. combat death toll that has
resulted — will disappear. That in turn would put even more pressure
on Bush to yield to the Democratic-led push to wind down the war in
coming months.

If the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki does manage to
achieve the political milestones demanded by Washington, then the U.S.
military probably will be told to sustain the troop buildup much
longer than originally foreseen — possibly well into 2008. Thus the
early planning for keeping it up beyond late summer.
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Three months later, with troops still flowing into Baghdad, the
Pentagon is beginning to take steps that suggests it expects to
maintain higher troop levels into 2008 and beyond, yet officials still
won't say whether the increase is intended as a short-term move. Some
believe the lack of clarity is a mistake because it adds to the strain
on troops and their families and it may lessen the psychological
pressure on the belligerents.
[...]

In Full: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070421/ap_on_go_pr_wh/iraq_troop_boost



CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
April 20, 2007 – 1:35 p.m.
House-Senate Conferees to Meet Monday on War Spending

A formal House-Senate conference committee on the war spending bill
will convene April 23 at 4:30 p.m., Democratic appropriators said
today.

Though details of the final measure (HR 1591) have not been finalized,
on the main point of contention — a deadline for withdrawing U.S.
troops from Iraq — the conference report is expected to include
language similar to the Senate's nonbinding goal for withdrawal.

Democrats are eager to move the bill to President Bush next week, amid
GOP criticism that the delay in completing the measure is hurting the
troops in Iraq. Bush repeatedly has vowed to veto the measure if it
contains war restrictions.

The Senate and House bills both exceeded $123 billion and the final
measure is expected to include spending in that range.
[...]

In Full: http://public.cq.com/docs/cqm/cqmidday110-000002494467.html