Pentagon may need till Nov. for full Iraq review

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

Pentagon may need till Nov. for full Iraq review
By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - A September report on President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq will show whether the plan is progressing, but a fuller assessment will take until November, a top U.S. commander said on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, deputy U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters at the Pentagon that trends in the war-torn country have begun moving "in the right direction" since Bush's troop buildup became complete in mid-June.

"Forty-five days from now, September 1 ... I'll be able to make a bit more accurate assessment if it's something we think is going to continue or something we think is just a blip," he said in a video link from Baghdad.

"In order to do a good assessment, I need at least till November to do that," Odierno added.

Read more: http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19305152.htm

[BOSSHOG]

1. And come October they will proclaim February to be the magic month

[denverbill]

3. Yep, and each time, just a few more troops to put us over the top.

[Junkdrawer]

2. Pentagon may need till Nov. 2026 for full Iraq review

"Man, you should see our work back load" a Pentagon spokesman said. "We just finished documenting WW I."

[Sonicmedusa]

4. Of course they will

The Iraqi government has until October to vote on the Oil Theft Law.

[underpants]

5. LOL

I'm sorry but this actually made me laugh out loud.

I guess this went right out to the RW talking heads and blogs -now they can act like this is established fact.

[Kolesar]

6. The Kossacks coined the term "One Friedman Unit" for a six month period

So four months would be an Odierno. (I think I have my Kossack attribution correct)

[Lee_n_Tenn]

7. Oh thats just RICH! These guys can do anything. No one is ever gonna stop them. N/T

[monmouth]

8. Of course without any money coming their way, things might speed up....

[rateyes]

9. WHEN is this country going to explode? What is the

tipping point? DAMNDAMNDAMNDAMNDAMN!!!

[youngdem]

10. And maybe really until Jan, 09....THEN we can deem it an immediate failure

Right?

Right?


:eyes:

[frylock]

11. bait and switch -- and the congressional dems fell for it..

fuckin rubes.

[maddezmom]

12. kick

[jefferson_dem]

13. U.S. Generals Request Delay in Judging Iraq

Source: NYT

July 20, 2007
U.S. Generals Request Delay in Judging Iraq
By THOM SHANKER and DAVID S. CLOUD

WASHINGTON, July 19 — The top commanders in Iraq and the American ambassador to Baghdad appealed for more time beyond their mid-September assessment to more fully judge if the new strategy was making gains.

Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that while he would provide the mid-September assessment of the new military strategy that Congress has required, it would take “at least until November” to judge with confidence whether the strategy was working.

But their appeals, in three videoconferences on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon, were met by stern rebukes from lawmakers of both parties.

The sessions appeared aimed in part at conveying that the administration was not planning a major strategy shift in September that would begin reducing the American troop presence, even if benchmarks set by Congress to measure Iraq’s progress were not achieved.

Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker told lawmakers in a closed-door video session at the Pentagon that it was increasingly likely that Iraq’s government would not achieve all of the political benchmarks by September, according to a senior Defense Department official.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/washington/20policy.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

[TwilightGardener]

14. Sick. November now, eh? Pull that football away from us one more time, Lucy.

[TomInTib]

18. Well put. I have this theory...

I call it "The Expanding Table" theory.

Maybe tomorrow I can take the time to type it and send it to you, wienerdoggie.

[TwilightGardener]

27. Hi, TominTib!

[ShortnFiery]

15. That will go over like a "lead balloon" with the American Public.

How much longer will the people voluntarily sacrifice themselves to be sucked into "the intake" of the military meat grinder? It's going to begin to get *real interesting* come September if we continue to hear this same old meme. :grr:

[BlackHawk706867]

16. "Oh my God" We are going to at least need until 2012 to figure this out...

Damn, no surprise here folks.... We need to steal that oil first before we can even think about moving out of Iraq... And they are fighting us over there big time on this one.... Going to take allot more time to convince them that $.20 cents on the dollar is a great price for their oil.... But hey, we will be sure to get back to you.... Rest assured...

ww

[TomInTib]

17. Running out the clock.

Well, now, that didn't take long did it?

[BlackHawk706867]

20. There not running out the clock.. As a matter of fact (IMHO) there are doing...

the litmus test to see if they can steal "Monarchy" while everyone is thinking that they are running out the clock! Look at Congress right now, The Bush Administration is taking notes to see if they can seriously steal the US. ie: Become the Full Time Administration.... (How lovely would that be for them?) Hey they have spent almost 3 Trillion of your tax $$$ so far and you haven't given a good "God Damn" so it would seem. I guess they gotcha..... Best of luck!!!

ww

[TomInTib]

22. They are stalling until they can suspend the '08 elections.

That is where everything is aimed.

Moving it back until we experience a well-timed "National Emergency".

Just watch.

[frogcycle]

19. give them all the time they need to come up with a report

just bring them home, tell them "it failed big time, now tell us why"

[Alcibiades]

21. Why November?

Usually, their go-to time frame is six months. I expect that's what they meant--they really won't be able to begin to extimate the progress of the surge until March, 2008.

[billyoc]

23. I can understand their point, I used to do the same thing in the military.

me: "Requesting more time to accomplish the objective, sir."

them: "Request denied, get to work, jerkoff."

[PearliePoo2]

24. I knew this would happen

There's no way that September was going to be it.
Keep moving the goalposts. Rinse and repeat.
Bastards.

[Orrex]

25. Generals: "Give us time to succeed. And if we fail, give us more time."

Christ, a work ethic like that would get you fired from McDonald's before the end of your first shift.

By all means, let's give them two more months. And $20B more dollars. And 500+ more American lives. And 2000+ more Iraqi lives.

What's the difference, right?

[TankLV]

26. WE TOLD YOU SO!!!! Like we didn't see this one comming a mile away...

But still - you've got to fucking be kidding me!!!

Then come November - and we need till March, then come March, we need till June, then come June, we need till September again.

Repeat as often as necessary.

Just goddamn fucking great...

DON'T YOU SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING YOU FUCKING AMERIKKKAN SHEEPLE?!?!?!?!!?!

[sutz12]

28. One more Friedman unit is all.....until the next one.

They change the start time, they change the stop time.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[LeFleur1]

29. Please Remember

Please remember that 57,000 or so American lives weren't enough for some of these same bozos (supporting this war) in Viet Nam. They are still crying today about the fact that we finally pulled out of that quagmire.

Bush is just trying to stall until a Democrat is in office. Then he can pass the war off as theirs. He doesn't care one bit about the troops, the families who have had someone killed in his war of choice, the wounded. Oh, he pretends now and then, but there is no sympathy, only pretense. I always wondered what the SCUM OF THE EARTH meant. A few months after this administration came to office, I realized they are THE SCUM OF THE EARTH.

I saw a news clip of the new Secretary of Defense sniveling to an audience about the death of a soldier. Too bad he doesn't use his power to bring them all home instead of treating them like fodder. Actions speak louder than words.

Some Senator should have asked the Ambassador how many US deaths and body parts blown off he thought it might cost to 'give them until November'.

Sorry for the rant, I am just enraged.

[flyarm]

30. no end of story..no ..hell no!! remember an order went out about 2 mos ago

telling 35,000 more soldiers to be ready to deploy in the fall

no..hell no..no fucking way!!

enough..impeach these fuckers!! now!

fly

[Screwfly]

31. In the end

The only thing that will make the public will rebel over the Iraq war is a draft. When it comes right down to it the soldiers are volunteers, the money being spent on the war would never be used to help ordinary Americans as long as Bush is in power anyway, and the Iraqi people are in the throws of self destruction.

[dmosh42]

32. What about the political settlement?

All they mention is their 'military' strategy. They're supposed to be working on a political settlement. Well, they're going on vacation! All Bullshit!

[rodeodance]

33. General needs until Nov. to assess Iraq

Source: ap



General needs until Nov. to assess Iraq

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - For months September has been cast as a pivotal time for determining the course of the war in Iraq, yet a top general now says a solid judgment on the U.S. troop buildup there may not come until November.


Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno told reporters after a Senate hearing Thursday that he would need beyond September to tell if improvements in Iraq represent long-term trends.

"In order to do a good assessment I need at least until November," said Odierno, a deputy to Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq.

Petraeus and other officials testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and briefed reporters on Thursday. Making strides toward security and political goals could take more time than first thought, they warned.

A stark assessment came via video link from the Iraqi capital when Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador, told the committee that Iraq is gripped by fear and struggling to meet security and political goals by September.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070720/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq;_ylt=Au7npHouGChA29jG1lM.ziys0NUE

---

we saw the writing on the wall for this one!

[safeinOhio]

34. OK

Which November?

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. that was my fisrt thought

which november

[Solly Mack]

36. been kicked enough yet America?

[annabanana]

37. Well, at least the Freidmans are getting smaller...

That's only 2 months, not 6.