The number is far higher than the US military has so far admitted and paints a much grimmer picture of the challenge facing the Iraqi authorities and their British and American backers as elections loom in four weeks.
More below the break . . . More from the Times (UK):
He breaks it down a bit:
"People are fed up after two years without improvement," he said. "People are fed up with no security, no electricity, people feel they have to do something. The army (dissolved by the American occupation authority) was hundreds of thousands. You'd expect some veterans would join with their relatives, each one has sons and brothers."
If our troops are now outnumbered by an insurgency using guerilla war tactics, many former Iraqi Army soldiers who are somewhat trained, how do we win? How can the US troops distinguish between civilian and enemy?
And will our SCLM cover this statement, which conflicts with the will of G.W.? Or will it just be dismissed (and the gentleman fired, of course)? If true, then this story is huge - it makes it clear that we (the U.S.) cannot win this war by just continuing with current policies. So will it be more troops, or a pullout? Or will our Army - including many from the reserves - continue to be sitting ducks?
This administration has totally bungled this war, and now they will throw themselves a $40 million party and ask Congress for an additional $100 billion to continue the war in Iraq.