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Why Not A Faster Withdrawal?
Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) asked Gen. Petraeus why his withdrawal plan is so circumscribed when other military officials -- including the Central Command chief, Admiral William Fallon -- believe a more rapid draw-down is possible and responsible, as The Washington Post reported this weekend. "A senior civilian official" told the Post that calling relations between Fallon and Petraeus "bad" would be "the understatement of the century."
During the hearing, however, Petraeus called his plan his "best professional military judgment," and stated that both Admiral Fallon "fully supports" his recommendations, "as do the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
A few minutes later, Petraeus stated that he believes Fallon is the victim of mistaken press accounts. Supposedly there was a Central Command assessment taking a much longer view of the Iraq situation, and not in conflict with Petraeus' own. Fallon, he said, agrees with Petraeus' view.
Comments (9)
chabuka wrote on September 10, 2007 3:39 PM:Petraeus and Crocker..selling their phony numbers game....no one's biting..except for Congress, the ones with their hands in the "cookie jars" of the no-bid Defence Contractors and kick-backs from Halliburton, Becthel, Boeing..etc. We must get rid of these "enemies of Democray and the U.S." Curious..can you sue Congress...for Dereliction of Duty, Obstruction of Justice, or conspiracy to committ UnConstitutional acts against the people...?
Michael wrote on September 10, 2007 3:40 PM:I don't get this all the major news outlets are headlining that the "surge" troops are to be withdrawn? What is going on? This is absurd!!!!!
Their tours are over in the spring and they won't be replaced because we don't have anymore troops. Will these gd media outlets ever get anything right???? Why don't they report facts as opposed ot spin? It's pathetic.
John Singer Sargent wrote on September 10, 2007 3:42 PM:This is an uninspiring, unimaginative, yet monumental con job.
Let's all watch how many Mainstream Corporate media outlets (aside from Fox, of course), pundits and Wise Ones clammor to suport it.
Just a few more Friedmans and... Cheney / Bush will either be safely out of office, or we'll all be part of a lockdown under a State Of Emergency.
Michael Lafferty wrote on September 10, 2007 4:07 PM:"Their tours are over in the spring?"
A minor correction: THEIR tours do not end, based upon current rotations, for 15 months. Most of the 'surge' troops have not been in country for much more than six months. Many will not see the end of their tour, barring extensions, until next summer.
Last year's April 'out of troops' problem was solved largely be moving to 15 month rotations and upping the level of participation by the National Guard. Expect to see this coming April's 'out of troops' problem resolved with additional extensions, increased stop-loss orders and additional activations of both Guard elements and Reserve soldiers and marines.
joan o wrote on September 10, 2007 4:36 PM:General Petraeus is the General Westmoreland of our time.
John B wrote on September 10, 2007 5:17 PM:Surge to end in summer '08 just in time for the fall campaign. Coincidence?
vox clamantis in red state wrote on September 10, 2007 6:02 PM:Wait for the Supremes to decide the election.
dcs wrote on September 11, 2007 1:27 PM:Wait for the inspectors' report on WMD in Iraq.
Wait for the voters to speak in the election of 2004.
Wait for the voters to speak in the election of 2006.
Wait for the Baker-Hamilton report to be released.
Wait for the surge to have the desired effect.
Wait for democracy to start functioning in Iraq.
Wait for the process to go a few more friedmans.
Wait for the next six months until next summer just before the 2008 election.
I am sick to death of this waiting. How about we DO something?
Wouldn't it be fairly simple to subpoena Admiral Fallon from his HQ in Florida? And the Joint Chiefs? And maybe not give them six months to prepare their objective, honest, apolitical views?
Meah Bottoms wrote on September 11, 2007 9:59 PM:John B--I agree. This is loathsome that politics seems to be more important than our kids being blown up in Iraq, or innocent Iraqi people being killed and maimed. This is so crazy, and so calculating. And why would we thinki this? Let's see...today is 9-11 and months ago we were told over and over to wait until September for General Patraeus's report. And here we were on Sept 10 and 11 with the Congress. That along with the bin Laden tape equals: Iraq and 911 were related. This administration could care less about our kids losing their lives in Iraq. And the poor schmuck soldiers don't even get that they are being sacrificed for politics. Such a tragedy.