US drawdown likely to be long, slow crawl to Kuwait

[rodeodance]

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_drawdown_likely_to_be_long_slow__09072007.html

US drawdown likely to be long, slow crawl to Kuwait


AFP
Published: Friday September 7, 2007


.........The pace of the drawdown also will be dictated by how quickly military equipment can physically be moved out of the country.

The troops can be flown home but the main way out for their gear is through Kuwait, which has the best and closest port in the region.

That means long convoys through potentially hostile territory under the watch of surveillance drones and fighter jets, the US defense official said.

"There are different ways you can apply security via aircraft or artillery or your inherent convoy security," the defense official said.

But move the tens of thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, trucks and other equipment too quickly and they will wind up bottled up in Kuwait, where the commercial port has just two berths set aside for the US military.

Every piece of equipment has to be steam cleaned and inspected before it can shipped back to the United States, a process that takes 10 days to two weeks.

"You have to make sure it's agriculturally safe to come back into the United States so you don't bring back vermin that play havoc with our own agriculture over here," the official said.

"It takes time."

[jmp]

1. Oh bull!

It didn't take that long to invade and overrun that entire country. It should take less time to get out.

[Olney Blue]

2. "bottled up in Kuwait"

Is that the only exit out of the ME? WTF?

And the equipment has to be cleaned before coming back to US?

[Dan]

4. and this presupposes that we do not attack Iran

because then - you are potentially looking at losing an Army.

[spag68]

3. The equipment is junk

leave it there. Buy new stuff, as long as it's made in the US, it's good, let Ford or GM make it.