Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/iraq-war-veterans-respond-to-presidents-new-strategy Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript President Bush's proposal to add more than 20,000 troops to the U.S. effort in Iraq has received mixed reactions from military experts and lawmakers. Two Iraq war veterans share their military views on the plans and whether more troops will achieve U.S. goals. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. RAY SUAREZ: We get those two views from retired Army Colonel Joel Armstrong. He was stationed in Iraq from February 2005 to February 2006. He served in Tal Afar as the deputy commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.And former Army Captain Phillip Carter. He also served in Iraq. He was an operations officer for a task force that advised Iraqi police in Baqouba, from October 2005 to September 2006.Gentlemen, welcome. Joel Armstrong, let me start with you. Earlier this week, when the president laid out his plan, did you come away from the television feeling that this was an outline that could work?COL. JOEL ARMSTRONG (Ret.), U.S. Army: Yes, I agree that five more brigades into Baghdad and two more regimental combat teams of the equivalent into al-Anbar can set the conditions for success in Iraq. RAY SUAREZ: Set the conditions how, do what that hasn't already been done before? COL. JOEL ARMSTRONG: Well, I think the key is protecting the population, specifically in Baghdad. And I believe that, with that amount of combat power, if we include — and this is really key, that we include the enablers with those brigades — it's not just the brigades, but it's the other enablers, such as interpreters, increased engineer support.We need to make sure that our system to provide life support for the Iraqi soldiers that will be living in the neighborhoods, you know, go alongside of the American forces and are partnered with the American forces, we need to make sure that all those resources are available to those brigade combat team commanders, leaders and soldiers, to enable success in their mission. The success will be when they protect the population of Baghdad. RAY SUAREZ: Phillip Carter, how about you? Did you come away from the speech thinking you had just heard a plan for success?CAPTAIN PHILLIP CARTER (Ret.), U.S. Army: I came away thinking it was a good speech, but counterinsurgency is easier said than done. And I don't think the president is putting the right amount of resources into this fight.Hey, look, you know, 20,000 troops is important. And our commanders have been saying for quite some time they need more resources. But if you've got a platoon of 35 guys, and your company commander gives you five more, that's not a meaningful increase in your capabilities.What we really need right now on the ground are three more platoons, to stretch that analogy a little bit. And every estimate of what it will take to secure Baghdad alone, let alone the rest of the country, says we need orders of magnitude more troops here.Even the Army's new counterinsurgency manual says that. We would need at least 150,000 to 200,000 troops for Baghdad alone. And so I'm skeptical that this plan will work.