More troops, please

I'm feeling hopeful about 2007, or at least I was until I watched my favorite president address the nation last night. Then I was really happy about the fact that winter feels like spring, until this Arctic blast came through yesterday. Although, we're back to average temps, I feel cheated.

Anyway, 21,000 troops are being sent over to Iraq to police neighborhoods, right? The promise is that more soldiers will die because we have more in harms way. But eventually, we'll either win or leave Iraq, because our support for their functioning democracy has an expiration date (Yeah, right). They may loose the support of the "American people" but I don't think he meant, they'll loose the troops that we have on the ground.

The main thing I wanted to hear last night that Bush didn't mention is whether or not the new troops are being trained for the type of war they're going into. Everyone is saying that they're not trained for situations like Baghdad, and I remember a story where one contractor was ambushed while being escorted by a military tank. He said that they killed his driver and his car came to a stop. He begged for help, but instead of turning around to help him, the troops drove their tank to safety. These troops are scared. Not all of them, but many aren't trying to be a roadside statistic and I can't blame them. There's more going on than the clear mission of searching for Saddam or suspected insurgents. I just don't know that increasing numbers will help in areas that the U.S. citizens like me really care about. I just want troops to leave Iraq, alive with all of their body parts, as soon as possible. Aside from the Bush administration, does anyone really care if Iraq's democracy works? Do you really fear that the lives of your children and grandchildren will be filled with terror if we don't "win" in Iraq? I mean, can't terrorists just train in another country?

This kinda reminds me of a supervisor who can't delegate responsibility so he stays at work day and night trying to do it all himself. Only in this case, "himself" means American troops. If there was something really popping in Iraq we could call on other countries to send more troops.