Surge!

"There were between 130,000 and 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq when the surge began. The AP says there are 169,000 there now. In an interview, Petraeus wouldn't say exactly how many troops would be coming home by next summer under his plan, but the AP says he "suggested" that it would be fewer than 30,000 and that the actual number is probably around 25,000. The net result: Come July, there may be something like 144,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, or around 10,000 to 15,000 more than there were when the "surge" began."

- Salon > War Room > [clicky]