Details of Bush's New Iraq Strategy

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 10, 2007

Filed at 12:31 p.m. ET

Details of President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, as outlined by White House officials on Wednesday:

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U.S. TROOP INCREASE

-- Bush will commit 17,500 additional U.S. combat troops, the equivalent of five combat brigades, to Baghdad. The first brigade is to arrive Jan. 15; the next on Feb. 15; the remainder in separate waves every 30 days.

-- Bush will commit 4,000 more Marines, in two waves, to Anbar, the troubled western province that is a base of the mostly Sunni insurgency and foreign al-Qaida fighters.

-- The president's upcoming supplemental budget request will include $5.6 billion to pay for his new commitment of troops.

-- Expand embedding of U.S. advisers into Iraqi security forces.

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ECONOMIC AID

--$414 million to expand the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and set up new Provincial Support Teams.

--$400 in quick-response funds to address civilian problems.

--$350 million more for the Commander's Emergency Response Program, set up in 2003 to give field commanders money to solve local problems that quickly the improve daily the lives of Iraqis.

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IRAQI COMMITMENTS

--Allocate $10 billion to assist in reconstruction efforts.

--Deliver three brigades for Baghdad; the first on Feb. 1; then two more on Feb. 15.

--Crack down on insurgents regardless of sect or religion.

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   Note from the above that Bush is going to request an additional $5.6 billion to pay for the additional troops. So, if the Democrats decided not to give Bush the extra funds, then they do not deploy?

 

Wage Hike to Sink In The Senate?

   Because you need to know, the Democrats are planning on voting for a minimum wage increase today (Wed.) for the first time in 10 years to raise the wage up to $7.25 per hour. Economist say that will jack the pay up for some 13 million workers.

    According to The New York Times, the chances are not so certain in the Senate because of the Republicans desire to add a piece granting some more tax cuts to small business owners. Republicans say that they will filibuster the bill without the tax cut measure added to it.

  The $5.15 to $7.25 increase will take place in 3 steps between now and 2009.

   I have always been one to support the minimum wage increases every time that they have come up but I have problems with the way that they  are rolled out in stages over a period of two or three years.

   Why do we not bring the increases out in a much shorter time span? You all know that by 2009  $7.25 an hour will not be all that helpful to those earning it. Raise it up all at once! How about by mid-year? Even $7.25 an hour is not going to do all that much for the worker if they have a family to support.

   At one time in my life I was working for $10 an hour with no bills other the rent,electricity,and such and I still had a tough time making ends meet. Forget about putting anything away for emergencies or retirement!

   Let the corporations moan and groan about the increase. Most are making more than enough to cover a real living wage and still make a damned good profit. If they were not, they would not be in business still!

 

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