The President is Alone in Calling for an Escalation of Troops in Iraq

The President is expected to address the nation tonight announcing his plan to escalate the war. This plan is opposed by top military leaders and the majority of the American people.

Read on to see what our military experts have to say about a surge in troops:

General Colin Powell: Surge Will Not Work. Powell said, “I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work.” [Face the Nation, CBS, 12/17/06]

General George Casey: Skeptical of Troop Escalation Plan. Casey: “It’s always been my view that a heavy and sustained American military presence was not going to solve the problems in Iraq over the long term.” [New York Times, 1/2/07]

General John Abizaid Thinks More Troops Will Only Keep the Iraqis from Taking Responsibility for Their Own Future. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Abizaid said, “Senator McCain, I met with every divisional commander, General Casey, the corps commander, General Dempsey, we all talked together. And I said, in your professional opinion, if we were to bring in more American Troops now, does it add considerably to our ability to achieve success in Iraq? And they all said no. And the reason is because we want the Iraqis to do more. It is easy for the Iraqis to rely upon to us do this work. I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future.” [Senate Armed Services Committee Testimony, 11/15/06]

Joint Chiefs: “Unanimous Disagreement” to a Surge. A Washington Post article, using anonymous White House sources, reports that “White House officials [are] aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” [Washington Post, 12/19/06]

General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps: “We do not believe that just adding numbers for the sake of adding numbers—just thickening the mix—is necessarily the way to go.” [Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN 12/18/06]

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley K. Clark: More Troops Will Not Deliver a Win. Clark wrote, “Will [a surge] deliver a ‘win?’ Probably not. But it does distract us from facing the deep-seated regional issues that must be resolved.” [Washington Post, 1/8/07]

Donald Rumsfeld: More Troops “Less Attractive.” In a memo to the White House, Rumsfeld listed “Increase Brigade Combat Teams and US forces in Iraq substantially” under the category “Below the Line (less attractive options).” [New York Times, 12/3/06]

Major General Don Shepperd, USAF (Ret.): I Would Not Even Consider Increasing Troop Strength in Iraq. Shepperd, who works as a CNN military analyst, offered his analysis of what should be done next after he was briefed by members of the Iraq Study Group. He wrote, “I would not even consider increasing troop strength in Iraq.” [CNN.com, 12/11/06]

Robert Gates: Skeptical of More Troops. “According to two administration officials who asked not to be named, Robert Gates expressed his skepticism about a troop surge in Iraq on his first day on the job, December 18, at a Pentagon meeting with civilians who oversee the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines.” [New York Sun, 12/27/06]