Gates: July 2011 withdraw date called 'firm'

[SpartanDem]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that U.S. troops will start coming home from Afghanistan starting in July 2011, but he left open the chance that the number of troops returning then could be small.

"Let's be clear, the date in July 2011, to begin transferring security responsibilities and bringing troops home, is firm," Gates said on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday.

What is conditions-based is the pacing at which our troops will come home and the pacing at which we turn things over to Afghans," he added.

Gates again Sunday signaled flexibility on President Barack Obama's Afghanistan surge strategy. The president last week announced that he is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan over the next six months and that they will start to come home in July 2011. But Gates and other Obama administration officials have noted that July 2011 is not a deadline for pulling the troops out.

"What we have is a specific date at which we'll begin transferring security district by district, province by province... to Afghans," Gates said.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/70799-july-2011-withdraw-date-called-firm

[bigjohn16]

1. Firmly conditional.

"we will have 100,000 forces, troops there, and they are not leaving in July of 2011. Some, handful, or some small number, or whatever the conditions permit, will begin to withdraw at that time."

Gates

[girl_interrupted]

7. LOL! That's about the size it..."Firmly Conditional"

In other words..no one knows.

[Cha]

2. I wish them the best to accomplish the

goals they've set for this vitally important mission.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Firm until it's changed.

[ecstatic]

5. That's life... a firm date is a damn good start though, wouldn't you say?

I can make all the plans in the world for what I will be doing in 2011, but nothing is truly set until that moment comes and I actually have the means and resources to carry out those goals.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Then it isn't firm if it can be changed.

Firm means firm, period.

[ecstatic]

16. The only truly firm dates are birthdays and holidays

I had a cruise scheduled earlier this year: a firm date, then suddenly the swine flu came along and the whole thing was canceled by Carnival.

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. Better to postpone the crooz than be on a ship full of sick people,

Enjoy yourself when it does happen, though.

[high density]

9. Right, because everybody has a crystal ball that sees to July 2011

And wars always go as expected.

[Divine Discontent]

4. painful!!! they can easily change it based on 'needs on the ground', & more than likely will like

always, secondly, it will take a long time to finish removing them, when they "start removing troops"!

Such a bunch of BS! 3-5 years of additional bloodshed. Having a 100,000 troops & 100,000 non-military personnel over there is overkill. There's no need for such a large ground force. It's a shame that on this subject (war), Obama is continuing, willfully, Bush's war. I have read several great articles against the 30000 troops being added, and heard Michael Moore give wonderful points as to why it's a mistake or unnecessary, but alas, it's up to Congress to say no!

[Skittles]

6. this will be a circus act just like "healthcare reform"

[AllentownJake]

8. Wait till financial reform nt.

[Better Believe It]

12. Bi-partisan Social Security and "entitlement reform" is coming up next! Hang on to your wallets!

[ima_sinnic]

11. whatever. those few that start trickling back in 7/11, will have been outnumbered by new ones anyway

perpetual war is too profitable to just up and quit. If not Afghanistan, there are still plenty of unconquered areas left in the world in need of corrupt tinpot dictators sympathetic to "our" goals and plans.

[Better Believe It]

13. The July 2011 withdrawl date is as firm as jello!

[Clio the Leo]

14. As Gibbs said last Tuesday afternoon...

"This will be the most misunderstood part of the President's speech,"

The above assesment is the most accurate description I've heard of the complete testimony that Gates, Clinton and Mullen gave last week .... combined with what the President said Tuesday night.

I'd only add that both Gates and Mullen said that they'd know if the strategy was working by December of 2010.

[ClarkUSA]

15. This is established fact despite the sniggering hair-splitting here by the usual suspects.

Even MSNBC talking head Chuck Todd has a better grasp of this issue than the Obama Outrage Club here. He said this morning that
the media's interpretation of what was said is what's causing confusion, not what was actually said because troop withdrawals will
begin by 2011, as Pres. Obama ends the war.

:)