Leading Democrat wants more troops in Iraq

As the debate over Iraq intensifies, leading Democrat Silvestre Reyes is calling for the deployment of more U.S. troops. He says, “we can’t afford to leave.”

In a surprise twist in the debate over Iraq, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, the soon-to-be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a stepped up effort to “dismantle the militias.”

The soft-spoken Texas Democrat was an early opponent of the Iraq war and voted against the October 2002 resolution authorizing President Bush to invade that country.

That dovish record got prominently cited last week when Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi chose Reyes as the new head of the intelligence panel.

But in an interview with Newsweek on Tuesday, Reyes pointedly distanced himself from many of his Democratic colleagues who have called for fixed timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

House Speaker Pelosi probably chose Reyes for that position because of his opposition to the Iraq war and his reputation as a dove.

Now, with his surprise announcement calling more troops, instead of the usual Democratic ‘cut and run’ stance, Pelosi is surely regretting her decision.

Link