More troops definitely not the answer...

More troops will only fuel the violence- Pentagon: Times Online

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I have always felt that the strategy employed by the Pentagon since the beginning of the war was the wisest approach to fighting this new type of counter-insurgency campaign, which would obviously tempt the patience of the American people. I cannot understand the logic in increasing our presence, as has been proposed by Senator John McCain among others, in a war zone rife with suicide attacks and IED's. Why would we put more American's on street corners to be easy pickings for such spineless tactics? Where is the wisdom in increasing the number of targets for these jihadies to drive their TNT-laden SUVs into? As far as I am concerned, and I say this with the utmost compassion for the current situation, Iraqi police make better sitting ducks than members of the US Army reserve. I can understand where Senator McCain is coming from, and if I was in his position I might view the situation similarly considering his presidential ambitions, but I think his advisers should tell the senator that this strategy is misguided. There are so many ways in which he could better distinguish himself from his competition for the Republican nomination, for I can only see his current position ultimately hurting him in the long run. In fact, he need only adjust his current policy slightly, in my opinion, to better address the realities of the current conflict and effect its long term outcome. If he were to change his calls for more "boots on the ground" in Iraq to calls for a substantial increase in our current Naval presence in the Persian Gulf, which is more in line with the current suggestions coming out of the White House, it may go a long way toward influencing the actions of the otherwise defiant regime in Tehran. With President Amadine-jihad suffering a setback in last weekends local elections, the time is right for the US to exert maximum pressure on the Iranian government and show the entire region that we will not cower in the face of belligerent extremism. I am confident incoming Defense Secretary Gates will continue the valiant struggle begun under his predecessor with the same ruthless tenacity that has made this war one of the most efficiently managed in American history (considering its unconventional nature). I can only hope that our next president will understand as well as President Bush has (and which the majority of the American people unfortunately have not) what is necessary to prevail.