Iraq Index

US TROOP STRENGTH IN IRAQ SINCE MAY 2003 (Totals only)



2003

May 150,000
June 150,000
July 149,000
August 139,00
September 132,000
October 131,000
November 123,000
December 122,000


2004

January 122,000
February 115,000
March 130,000
April 137,000
May 138,000
June 138,000
July 140,000
August 140,000
September 138,000
October 138,000
November 138,000
December 148,000


2005

January 150,000
February 155,000
March 150,000
April 142, 000
May 138,000
June 135,000
July 138,000
August 138,000
September 138,000
October 152,000
November 160,000
December 160,000


2006

January 136,000
February 133,000
March 133,000
April 132,000
May 132,000
June 126,900
July 130,000
August 138,000
September 144,000
October 144,000
November 140,000

No numbers for December. However...from January 10, 2007

Bush's blueprint would boost the number of U.S. troops in Iraq – now at 132,000 – to 153,500 at a cost of $5.6 billion. The highest number was 160,000 a year ago in a troop buildup for Iraqi elections.

Deadliest Months in Iraq - April 2004 /November 2004 /October 2006/January 2005

Troop Levels in:

October 2006 - 144, 000

January 2005 - 150, 000

April 2004 - 137, 000

November 2004 - 138, 000

From the above article dated October 21, 2006.

"The spike in U.S. deaths has also had a sobering effect on military commanders, who for the first time this week admitted that the plan to bring more U.S. troops into Baghdad to pacify the city is simply not working, and needs to be re-thought."

From Bush's "surge" speech tonight.

"This will require increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them — five brigades — will be deployed to Baghdad."


In other words, less than 3 months ago, a troop build-up (already in place) in Baghdad was deemed to be not working. Yet tonight we heard how Bush, dressing the idea up as "new", plans to continue the same plan that wasn't working in October 2006.

Same shit - Different Day - And the dying continues.