February 25, 2008

Surge troops stuck in Iraq past July

Despite promises by the Bush administration that troop numbers would be reduced, more troops are going to be stuck in Iraq than were there before last year's "surge."

Despite promises by the Bush administration, more troops are going to be stuck in Iraq than were there before last year's surge.

About 8,000 support troops - including helicopter crews, supply units, military police and headquarters staff - will still be needed when the additional combat units return home, said Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, the chief of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In particular, U.S. troops are still needed to guard Iraqi prisons, he said.

"The transfer of responsibility for detention operations has not progressed as rapidly as we would like to the Iraqis, so there's a need to have that force sustained, as well," Ham said.