And here is the real story from our ABC. Notice particularly that fallguys deceitful copy and paste says 50,000 when the guys on the spot are saying 5,000. Fallguy obviously has the same problem with numbers that milesg sometimes has.
US faces 5,000 Iraqi fighters: chief By Washington correspondent John Shovelan
The US central commander in Iraq, General John Abizaid, has dismissed assertions from one of his commanders on the ground in Iraq that Saddam Hussein may have planned to fight an insurgency campaign right from the start of the war.
General Abizaid says he believes there are no more than 5,000 fighters in Iraq opposed to his forces.
The Bush administration is now exploring ways of handing over power to the Iraqis, which could include elections by the middle of next year.
General Abizaid concedes violence has risen dramatically in Iraq but says Saddam Hussein is not orchestrating the campaign.
"I think Saddam Hussein is one of the most incompetent military leaders in the history of the world," he said.
The Bush administration is reported to be seeking an election in Iraq perhaps as early as the middle of next year, and ending US control before the presidential elections in November.
President Bush says he wants Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Baghdad, to develop a plan to speed up Iraqi self rule.
"We want the Iraqis to be more involved in the governance," he said.
The administration now seems willing to drop its demand for a new constitution before handing over power.
