Petraeus, Seeing Gains as Fragile, Is Wary of Cuts

[sabra]

Source: NYTimes

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 — Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told President Bush that he wants to maintain heightened troop levels in Iraq well into next year to reduce the risk of military setbacks, but could accept the pullback of roughly 4,000 troops beginning in January, in part to assuage critics in Congress, according to senior administration and military officials.

General Petraeus’s view is considered overly cautious by some other senior military officials and some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said. But they said it reflected his concern that the security gains made so far in Baghdad, Anbar Province and other areas were fragile and easily reversed.

Beyond the gesture of pulling back one brigade, officials who have been involved in the preparation of General Petraeus’s Congressional testimony to be delivered next week say he will discuss the possibility of far deeper withdrawals beyond January that, over a number of months, could bring American force levels down to about 130,000 troops, where they stood at the beginning of 2007. But they said it was unclear how specific the general would be in publicly discussing the timing of pullbacks, and they said that even in internal administration deliberations he had described conditions that must be met before a reduction.

White House officials said Thursday night that Mr. Bush had yet to make any final decisions about the recommendations. But General Petraeus’s apparent agreement to a small withdrawal beginning early next year could fit into a narrow consensus that is beginning to emerge on Capitol Hill. Many Republicans and Democrats agree that some troop withdrawal should begin soon, though major disagreements remain about how quick and deep the subsequent withdrawals should be.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/washington/07policy.html?ref=world

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withdrawing back to 130k? :crazy:

[MichiganVote]

1. Fucking idiots. All of them.

[saigon68]

4. Petraeus = Pimp and Puppet for NEOCON interests

A big job licking someones ass at Bechtel when he retires.

Maybe he can get on the Falwell Legends speaking tour also

[LiberalAndProud]

2. How many lives, how many billions of dollars for "Fragile Gains"?

Is there a cost-benefit analysis that can make sense of this?

[tabasco]

3. What a surprise.

The hand-selected stooge of the oil mafia says the occupation must continue.

Yeah, this is a real unexpected development. :boring:

[rodeodance]

5. There are now some 20 American combat brigades in Iraq.

Still, the White House is nowhere close to committing to the deep reductions being discussed by Democrats and some Republicans, which would extend beyond the additional five combat brigades that Mr. Bush sent to Iraq. Some have endorsed a recommendation by the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan advisory panel, which called in late 2006 for a pullback of all combat brigades by the end of March 2008.

There are now some 20 American combat brigades in Iraq. Administration officials have signaled that even the most aggressive drawdown being contemplated by the White House would leave at least 10 combat brigades in Iraq by the end of 2008, down from the 15 in place before the troop increase began.

Concern about the strain on the force is said to be driving General Pace and Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, who are said to favor that aggressive administration plan.

[rodeodance]

6. are said to be pushing for a faster drawdown of the 30,000 additional American troops sent to Iraq.

Still, some members of the Joint Chiefs, including the outgoing chairman, Gen. Peter Pace, and senior officers at Central Command, which has overall responsibility for the Middle East, are said to be pushing for a faster drawdown of the 30,000 additional American troops sent to Iraq. Several officers involved said Adm. William J. Fallon, the head of Central Command, had joined in that effort because he was worried about having enough forces in reserve to handle contingencies elsewhere, presumably including any future confrontation with Iran.

Admiral Fallon is also said to believe that giving the Iraqi government a clearer sense that the American troop commitment is limited will help prompt the Iraqis to take steps aimed at achieving reconciliation among Iraq’s warring sectarian factions.

[Javaman]

7. What ever happened to the "war czar" asshole? he's been mysteriously quiet. nt