What To Listen For Tonight

Tonight President Bush will give one of the most important speeches in the recent history of our nation. According to media reports he will be sending up to 21,000 more troops to Iraq to stabilize Baghdad and help train Iraqi defense forces for what eventually will be a transition in who secures the Iraqi nation. (If such a thing as the Iraqi nation, which is a nation state hodgepodge of 3 distinct peoples exists in a few years time)

I will be listening for some key points tonight:

• What is the plan for the additional troops? Will they be embedded in Iraqi forces or under a sole American command structure?
• Will they be national guard and reserves serving a 2nd or even third tour of duty in Iraq?
• Will the President commit to improving the body armor and equipment our military has at its disposal in Iraq?
• Will additional troops be sent to regions outside of Baghdad?
• Will the President as has been reported scale back the disastrous policy of Debaathification which left any Iraqi individuals experienced in government out of the reconstruction of Iraq? Now that Saddam Hussien has been killed, can we finally close the book on the purge of members of the Baath party and use their individual talents and expertise to help rebuild Iraq?