Surge, Hailed by Cheney Today in Texas, is Not a 'Change In Direction' But Justification of Failed Occupation Policy
27 Feb 2008 09:00 Africa/Lagos Surge, Hailed by Cheney Today in Texas, is Not a 'Change In Direction' But Justification of Failed Occupation Policy NEW YORK, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the five-year anniversary of the Iraq invasion draws near, a new PR offensive by the White House is attempting to frame the recent troop "surge" as a strategic and military turnaround. But a growing chorus of experts warn that such claims merely mask the Administration's long-standing policy to ensure a protracted American occupation of the oil-rich nation. They warn that the occupation will not result in an end to the violence that has enveloped Iraq and so far claimed nearly 4,000 American lives. Speaking at Ft. Hood on Tuesday, Vice President Dick Cheney told Texas troops, "It was time for a new strategy, backed up by a surge of forces... and you did in fact turn things around." And at a town hall meeting in Ohio on Monday, Senator John McCain, the lik...