Violence Forcing More U.S. Troops in Iraq

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hosts Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, during an honor cordon ceremony at the Pentagon, Tuesday, July 25, 2006, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) (Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP)

On the political front, he said the president will need to better lay out a roadmap for success in Iraq so that Americans can make more sense of the war and a plausible way ahead.

Others, however, argue that increasing the military presence in Iraq will make matters worse, not better.

"Keeping more troops there is internally consistent with the administration's view on how to win the war _ they think our troop presence is helping and that more troops will help to calm the situation," said Winslow Wheeler, a military analyst with the Center for Defense Information think tank.

But, he said, more insurgency experts are arguing that adding troops will only fuel the violence.

Rumsfeld on Thursday extended the tours of some 3,500 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Wainwright in Alaska. The unit, which has been serving in northern Iraq, was scheduled to be leaving now, but instead the troops will stay for up to four more months and many may go to Baghdad.

An Iraq commander of another unit, speaking from Baghdad to Pentagon reporters, said Friday that soldiers' morale is good. He said while none want to hear that their time in Iraq has been extended, they understand the importance of the mission.

"A year is a long time over here, and none of us look forward to staying here," said Army Col. John Tully, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. "But we're soldiers and we do what we're told."

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