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Top general to urge Iraq troop cut »

Posted by: Aidenag 2 years, 4 months ago

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The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to advise President Bush to reduce the U.S. force in Iraq next year by almost half, potentially creating a rift with top White House officials and other military commanders over the course of the war.

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Aidenag

Photographer by day, news junkie by night. My main areas of interest are politics and the environment.

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Comments: 130

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engineer
Aug. 24, 2007, 8:50 a.m.
I wonder when these generals will get fired!!!
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texangelwings
Aug. 24, 2007, 10:26 a.m.
"Administration and military officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace is likely to convey concerns that keeping a force well in excess of 100,000 troops in Iraq through 2008 would severely strain the military."
.....This leaves the question; What kind of strain or should I say danger, would this put our troops in who are left behind?
I don't see the WH agreeing to a troop cut back.
Thanks Mark great article.
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ETproductions
Aug. 24, 2007, 11:02 a.m.
Look, Bush made it clear. We were over in Vietnam killing the Vietnamese like we should, but we left and then some Vietnamese people got killed by other Vietnamese. So we need to learn a lesson from history and stay in Iraq killing Iraqis forever, because if we quit killing them and leave, some of them might kill each other. What could be simpler? Why can't all of America get their minds around that?
If we have to go to a draft to stay there forever, then fine. Sign up all those younger then the politicians and send them off to kill Iraqis so they don't kill Iraqis.
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AntiNeoCon
Aug. 24, 2007, 12:57 p.m.
It doesn't matter as long as we kill someone, its the new America now...NeoAmerica...besides Haliburton and other corps need the profits to expand for our next war. Bush has the right idea, why can't you see that? (My arse)
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walden3
Aug. 24, 2007, 1:34 p.m.
what happens if russia makes a move on one of the stans, china on taiwan or north korea flinches? hell what happens if a disaster strikes right here at home. we're are ill equipped and over extended because of bush and cheney's desire to chase windmills.
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Matteu00
Aug. 24, 2007, 2:02 p.m.
Where's LUVMYPREZ and the other coolaid drinkers shouting, "YOU DON't TELL THE ENEMY YOUR PLANS".
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joeblowe
Aug. 24, 2007, 2:10 p.m.
I think a troop reduction of about 100% would be good. It just doesn't appear at this time that the new, improved Iraqi government is going to be able to handle the job. Maybe, if we just LEAVE, they will somehow, someway, figure it out on their own. And it they won't or can't --- oh well, guess they weren't really ready to have a democracy and some Saddam-like warlord will take control. Or, the Taliban will...
Either way, if they get too obnoxious again, we can go back and knock them down again. Really - knocking off Saddam was EASY. We should have just left it at that.
anioklyComment has been removed: Spammer
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joeblowe
Aug. 24, 2007, 2:32 p.m.
OK - I have another idea (I know, hard to believe...):
We can establish an ALL VOLUNTEER division to go and help Iraq. And by all volunteer, I don't mean like the whole military is volunteer, I mean make it a completely volunteer mission. Then, we'll see who puts there a*s where their mouth is as far as supporting the new Iraqi government. Remove the enlistment age limits. Reduce the physical qualifications. Pretty much let anyone go who wants to. Whaddaya think, would that end up being a huge drawdown or a really big surge?
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NelsonR
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:01 p.m.
If true, great but we are still saddled with Bush/Cheney who have a history of ignoring advise.
Why the lengthy time frame? Less than a month to Baghdad, why not a return trip of three months or less?
Why the huge Embassy being constructed in Baghdad?
Unless Bush/Cheney are evicted we will be in Baghdad for years if Hillary inherits the mantle of insanity. Bush/Cheney will require our continued presence in Iraq in the mistaken belief their lunatic judgements will be passed on to the next administration. Historical perspective.
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walden3
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:11 p.m.
someone yesterday made a good point that we're effed because we're in the middle. if we stay there we need to at least pick a side to support.
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HateKoolAid
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:21 p.m.
Bush has consistently said he would follow the advice of his generals as he always has, so what's the problem?? The troops will start coming home by the end of the year, right??
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Aotearoa
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:37 p.m.
There have been numerous attempts to try and talk some sense into king geoge's thick skull without success so what's another word from the people who know what they doing will do. There is no light and hope at the end of the tunnel for this moron who has managed, in 7 years, to alienate America from the rest of the world. Not long ago one could not have imagined that America would be in the same category and level as that of other " evil" nations who openly support kidnapping and trafficking , torture and prosecuting without due process. I guess America can't run around the world accusing other nations of dehumanizing treatment of fellow human beings.
Leve leva e malanga kae tau
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Aotearoa
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:44 p.m.
Walden;
...."if we stay there we need to at least pick a side to support."
The problem with that bro. is the side that America has been trainng, supported and arming are now using that knowledge and weapons to kill American soldiers.
leve leva e malanga kae tau
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Shirtless
Aug. 24, 2007, 3:46 p.m.
All along, the Shrub has been telling us that the decision on withdrawal will be made, not by "politicians in Washington" but by the military. If the military tells him it is time to withdraw, and he refuses, what then?
And by the way, isn't he just another "politician in Washington"?
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susoz
Aug. 24, 2007, 4:20 p.m.
Could this be door opening for the draft? Too few troops? Too many deaths, too many injuries, too long overseas, too much stress, too much....God, I hope I don't live to see a draft, especially for THIS war. That being said, thank you to the soldiers that put their lives in danger every single second that they are there. It's ashame we can't get the Prez/VP/Ca... to all do a tour of duty before they send off people to die. Oh, and then of course, they should be made to send one of their kids off too.
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truthseeker001
Aug. 24, 2007, 4:27 p.m.
be prepare to go into the abyss, there will be uncertainty in world politics after the pull out. the oil region will be up for grabs - china, russia, iran, and india will be some of the big players to pick up where america fail. the truth is, america will never leave, therefore,be prepare for the draft and a very long long war.
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TJefferson
Aug. 24, 2007, 4:29 p.m.
As if Dumbya would listen to Peter Pace. After all, Pace is just the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dumbya clearly knows more about assessing military affairs than Pace, considering that he has all that military experience fighting the viet cong over the skies of Alabama and Texas.
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LaFind
Aug. 24, 2007, 5:14 p.m.
A Troop reduction is a good idea at least for a trial but we can not allow the Iraqi puppet government that we installed to fail. If we abandon them they will be over run by the extremists and in a year or so the extremists will be here attacking us again in a different manner than before. There are a lot of nasty things that can be done to terrorize a free society and their goal or at least one of them is to force us into a protective mode where or freedoms are constantly challenged so we might as well be Muslim (or something like that). I like the idea of testing a troop reduction but staying at the ready to attack in force if need be.
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LaFind
Aug. 24, 2007, 5:22 p.m.
As for a draft, let's do away with good time in prisons. Send the hardened criminals to fight in order to earn good time but only the career criminals. Those sentenced to death can have a permanent residency there or until the war is over then back to jail for them. It would be tough to manage logistically but in theory I like it.
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LaFind
Aug. 24, 2007, 6:13 p.m.
They attacked us on 9/11/01, we are not fighting Iraq we are fighting Islamic extremist and terrorists that are using Iraq as a battle ground since we destabilized it.
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Dademon
Aug. 24, 2007, 6:43 p.m.
I have two sons in boot camp who will probably end up in Irac. I have two nephews that are Rangers and both are in Irac. I have another nephew who is a doctor working in Irac. I have another nephew that is a pilot and is presently in Irac. They are there because it is their job to fight were they are told to fight. They do not talk about the politics of war because they know in their hearts they shouldn't be there. But they are there and maybe die there if God will it that way. My youngest son told me just three days ago when I was talking to him on the phone, "We are infrantry, all we do is fight and die". It brakes my heart to know I may loose a son or nephew before this insanity is over.
So hear is my two cents worth. 1. Sadam Husein hated Osam Bin Laden because his group wanted to replace the dictatoships with Islamic extremists and Husein was more secular. 2. We were attacked by Al Quaida with the support of the Taliban.
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Dademon
Aug. 24, 2007, 6:48 p.m.
We failed to destroy Al Quaida or the Taliban. They just moved to Pakistan. Now they are threatening to take over the Pakistany government which has nuclear weapons. We did not want to destroy them because we still wanted to attack Iraq. Why, vengance for Husein attempting an assasination of daddy Bush and we wanted to put a government in power that would give Bush's buddies the oil rights to make money selling Iraqui oil. 3. No matter what we do the government of Iraq is doomed to be taken over by Islamic fundamentalists, period. We need to pull out of there and concentrate in Afghanistan because that is were the real problem is right now. And we caused that mess out of greed. We didn't want Osama dead even though we had him surrounded because if we defeat him so soon we have no excuse to attack Iraq.Oil greed got us here gentlemen. Now we are going to loose Iraq to our enemies, were are going to eventually loose Afghanistan and Al Quaida will get the nuclear weapons.Are we happy yet?
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NelsonR
Aug. 24, 2007, 6:49 p.m.
LaFind - All religions have their lunatics, Islam I must admit has an inordinate amount of them but the fact still remains, all religions desire to extol the virtues of their religion over others. It's real and factual, Religion is and has been a bane on humanity. Wars, poverty, deaths and misery is RELIGION. Do away with religion and accept the unknown that, nobody knows and just maybe you will be a better person. Who in the hell needs an illusion and old men of centuries past writing down their own thoughts with a second grade mentality of today, yet you would believe. Now that is just plain idiotic to accept Religion, just live your life as you would want to be treated, is that hard without the need and thought of an afterlife. If there is a god and I were him I would look down upon humanity and decry, "What have I produced".