US now in 'end game' in Iraq

News.com.au ^ | September 11, 2008 | Jim Mannion

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THE US is now in the "end game" in Iraq but must move cautiously in drawing down its forces there despite a growing insurgency in Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says.

Mr Gates' top military adviser, Admiral Michael Mullen, said he was not convinced that "we're winning it" in Afghanistan and warned that "frankly, we're running out of time".

Admiral Mullen said he had ordered the military to draw up a new strategy that encompasses insurgent safe havens in Pakistan.

But Mr Gates said President George W. Bush's decision to draw down only 8000 of the 146,000 troops from Iraq by February, and shift about half that number to Afghanistan "represents not only the right direction but the right course of action".

"I believe we have now entered that end game and our decisions today and in the months ahead will be critical to regional stability and our national security interests for the years to come," he told members of congress.

Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the decision to send 4500 troops to Afghanistan "a good and important start" even though it fell short of commanders requests for three more brigades or about 10,000 troops.

"Frankly, I judge the risk of not sending them too great a risk to ignore," he said at the same hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.

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Things are finally looking good in iraq.Thank god we have a leader like President Bush who believes in doing the right thing rather than the popular thing

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The root cause of growth in terrorism in afghanistan is pakistan and the negative role played by pak army and it’s intelligence.It should be made clear to pakis that unless it’s serious about fighting terror it won’t receive any addl. funding.Again president did the right thing by authorizing commando raids inside Pakistan without it’s consent.