US general sees no troop cut in Iraq before spring

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19378780.htm

US general sees no troop cut in Iraq before spring

WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The general who oversees the Iraq war said on Tuesday he did not expect any reductions in the size of the U.S. force until at least the end of spring 2007, as American troops try to prevent Iraq from falling into civil war.

Army Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, said he had expected U.S. troop levels to be lower than the current 147,000 -- the highest in Iraq since early January.

"I think that this level will probably have to be sustained through the spring, and then we'll reevaluate," Abizaid told reporters.

"I think these are prudent force levels. I think they're achieving the military effect," Abizaid said, without ruling out the possibility of even more troops.

[habitual]

1. Ummmm Liar

"I think these are prudent force levels. I think they're achieving the military effect,"

that begs the question: What exactly is the 'military effect'? is the 'military effect' supposed to send a nation into civil war?

[saigon68]

2. He's a Thuggish War Criminal too

Here is some of his "Good Work"

[wtmusic]

3. The fact that he didn't say "we're turning a corner"

indicates the situation is FUBAR.

[Supersedeas]

4. but but but what about all the leaks of troop reduction prior to the

election -- just more election cycle babble?

[Moderator]

5. k

[RedEarth]

6. Gen. says U.S. may boost forces in Iraq

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military will likely maintain or possibly even increase the current force levels of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring, the top US. commander in the Middle East said Tuesday in one of the gloomiest assessments yet of how quickly American forces can be brought home.

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed.

"If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," he said. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it."

Abizaid said that right now the current number of troops "are prudent force levels" that are achieving the needed military effect.

His comments came as U.S. political leaders continue to face declining public support for the war in Iraq, as they head into the coming congressional elections. Abizaid, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace are expected to meet with members of Congress later this week.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060919/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_5

[babylonsister]

7. I wish they'd shit or get off the pot. Either

force levels will be increased or they won't. Which is it? Are these generals waiting for the politically correct answer?
If more troops are required, where are they to come from? And I'm sure the soldiers would like to know if their deployments are going to be extended yet again. :eyes:

[lebkuchen]

11. 172nd Stryker Brigade has been extended to infinity

Rummy told families, "I'm not Santa Claus." No, but he thinks the American taxpayer is.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Juniors in high school beware

bush and his base really don't care if you get carted off to Iraq and are slaughtered in the desert in a couple of years. They have to keep going because the alternative would be to admit the truth. And the truth is something foreign to bush and his supporters. Your life is irrelevant to the military deserter and his prolife supporters.

[lebkuchen]

12. Those who have put ten or more years in....

they've been screwed by Bush for the last five years, and it's not going to get any better.

[w4rma]

9. This is just being done for political purposes. They have to know it won't

matter.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. ho, ho, ho chi minh

IraqNam is starting to resemble the far east
four decades past.
The lessons learned with sweat and blood
are gone at last.
The latest culprits are quite easily defined,
Boy George and his top men
Their acts resemble crimes of WWII
& convictions aren't if, but when.

[IChing]

13. Gen. says U.S. may boost forces in Iraq

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military will likely maintain or possibly even increase the current force levels of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring, the top US. commander in the Middle East said Tuesday in one of the gloomiest assessments yet of how quickly American forces can be brought home.
Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed.

"If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," he said. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it."

Abizaid said that right now the current number of troops "are prudent force levels" that are achieving the needed military effect.
His comments came as U.S. political leaders continue to face declining public support for the war in Iraq, as they head into the coming congressional elections. Abizaid, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace are expected to meet with members of Congress later this week. >>>snip

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ?SITE=FLSTU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[ShortnFiery]

14. But 40 year olds are not breaking down the doors to enlist ...

And many of us won't let our children kill and die with your oil wars.

HOW are The Neo Cons going to snag the cannon fodder?

We should tell every borderline voter that - should the Republicans win The House, A DRAFT is coming. :(

[chelsea0011]

15. I feel a DRAFT. Is there a window open?

[Jacobin]

16. Talk about yer botched 'nation building'

I'd say Commander Codpiece ranks number one.

WTF is the military doing there anyway? I mean when you stop and think about it. Trying to figure out who to go kill? Being blown up by everyone there who hates the U.S. for blowing their country apart?

VietNam redux.

[IChing]

18. The little Iraqi kids pose a reason for troop increase

bring the troops home now.

[underpants]

19. Ramadi = "The meat grinder"

or so the embedded reporter (who we never hear from) in Ramadi told Wolf Blitzer last week. I think it was last Monday the guy was on. Ramadi is in the Anbar province and this guy said that they had been begging for more troops for over a year but that now they hear that everyone is getting sent to Baghdad. He was very vocal about how ridiculous it is to claim that you are fighting a WORLD war on terrorism when you can't even contain things in Iraq.

We know why they can't but what I took from this report (you will never hear from HIM again I'd bet) is that either pulled everyone out or double the forces-which they can't really do at this point.

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. Remember all the talk about a draw down of troops after summer?

This is the bitter truth instead.

[bamacrat]

20. This is insane, how many times...

can a person endure a tour of duty?

[IChing]

21. AP story vs NYtimes story two different slants

interesting mine said increases in troops
and Nyt said it will not increase.

[Moderator]

22. k

[rodeodance]

23. Gen. says U.S. may boost forces in Iraq (4 US troops died since Sun.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060919/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq

Gen. says U.S. may boost forces in Iraq

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 10 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is likely to maintain and may even increase its force of more than 140,000 troops in
Iraq through next spring, the top American commander in the region said Tuesday in one of the gloomiest assessments yet of when troops may come home.


Gen. John Abizaid, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed. Until sectarian violence spiked early this year, Bush administration officials had voiced hopes that this election year would see significant U.S. troop reductions in what has become a widely unpopular war.

"If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," Abizaid said of longer deployments. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it."

His comments came as violence around Iraq killed at least 16 civilians on Tuesday and wounded dozens of others. Iraqi lawmakers angered by the relentless violence demanded that the defense and interior ministers appear before parliament to explain what they are doing to eliminate the death squads that have claimed hundreds of Iraqi lives.

[rodeodance]

24. they are talking of a possible IN-crease; not a decrease!

[saigon68]

32. "BRING EM ON" shouted the DRAFT DODGING CHIMPANZEE

[aquart]

25. And these soldiers will come from..............WHERE?

Enlistments are way down and we've already called up the Marines. Who else we got?

[Anakin Skywalker]

26. DRAFT! Can You Say "Draft"?

[aquart]

27. Not without laughing, no.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Somebody's not standing up!

:grr:

[ninkasi]

29. It's just because the press isn't reporting the good news...

according to these mental midgets. This part is terrible..."Gen. John Abizaid, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed."

How many times have some of the troops had their deployments extended? I mean, it's not like they can take a month off and clear some brush and ride a bike to relax, like the most miserable excuse for a human I've ever seen does.

It's criminal to keep pushing and pushing the troops, just to satisfy Chimp's insane lust for blood and misery. Why don't he, Cheney, Rummy, and Condi just strap on their weapons and go do it all themselves? They are the ones who revel in the bloodshed.

[Historic NY]

30. There are already 20000 more troops on the ground....

sent in or not rotated out in the wake of the violence in and around Bagdad since July....totals reportede between 140,000 & 147,000 now there.

[radfringe]

31. but but but but but

we're makin' progress... right?

notice the "spin"?

The military commanders, said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., "know what's necessary to adapt to the enemy's tactics. And whether that means more troops or more troops just in Baghdad, I believe they will make the appropriate decisions necessary to help the Iraqi forces continue to stand up and ultimately defend their country on their own."

Adapting to enemy tactics... We've heard this many times in the past couple of weeks, not only in reference to troop levels/depolyment but also as a reason for ripping up the Geneva convention.

reminds me of phrasing a retreat as "advancing to the rear"

[Glib Acumen]

33. Exit plan

I recommend that the troops begin pulling out of Iraq today.
There were demonstrations in San Francisco that I went to since 2003.
The anti-war demonstrations had up to 200,000 people.
The pro-war demonstration had about 700 people.

[OhioChick]

34. Pentagon faces tough choices on Iraq

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
1 hour, 25 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The dimming outlook for significant U.S. troop cuts in Iraq means the Pentagon may soon face a difficult and politically sensitive decision: either make more frequent call-ups of some National Guard and Reserve troops or expand still further the size of the active-duty Army, defense officials say.

That choice, already under discussion but with no timetable for decision, is looming in light of the fact that the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have put the Army under enormous strain. In particular, active-duty soldiers are not getting the desired minimum of two years at home between combat deployments.

Army officials had hoped for some troop relief in Iraq in this election year, but the surge in sectarian violence, the persistence of the insurgency and the slow pace of political progress in Baghdad have snuffed out those hopes.

Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. forces throughout the Middle East, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the military will likely maintain — or possibly even increase — force levels of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring. The current total is 147,000, up about 20,000 since June.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060920/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq

[Demeter]

35. Can The Army Surrender By Itself?

That may be the only way to save any of it from the Madness of King George.

[NOLADEM]

36. Our kids will be hung out to dry until after the election

No way will Bush commit more troops before November...

Sorry guys, our Chimperor has a mid-term election to steal, and he can't be bothered to send adequate troops to do the job.

After the election, if the Repukes hold on, they will send more in to Iraq, as a forward operating force for attacking Iran.

[soothsayer]

37. And exactly how are we going to start a war with a huge Iran?

And what exactly does it mean to "expand still further the size of the active-duty Army"? Getting drafty in here?

[OhioChick]

38. They changed the headline on me again.

Should read: "Pentagon weighs troop demands in Iraq."