Posted on 11/21/2005 8:31:12 AM PST by robowombat
Rumsfeld fuels hopes of cut in US forces in Iraq
by Guy Dinmore in Washington and Steve Negus in Cairo Published: November 20 2005 18:58
Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, on Sunday fuelled expectations that the US was contemplating a big reduction in its forces in Iraq next year, following reports that commanders had submitted plans to cut troop numbers to below 100,000.
Appearing on several Sunday television news shows, Mr Rumsfeld spoke of the significant progress in Iraq on the political front and in training Iraqi government forces, which he said now numbered 212,000.
Mr Rumsfeld was asked several times whether General George Casey, commander of US forces in Iraq, had submitted plans to reduce troop numbers from the current 160,000 to under 100,000 by the end of 2006 if conditions permitted. He was also asked whether such a reduction was possible.
“But sure, is it possible? Sure it’s possible. Anything’s possible,” Mr Rumsfeld told Fox News. “We’ll wait and see what General Casey recommends, but it’s proper for him to be making plans of that type.”
With opposition to the war mounting in Congress and opinion polls showing sliding support among Americans, the Bush administration is treading a fine line between encouraging expectations that large numbers of troops will come home next year and refusing to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Mr Rumsfeld insisted the Bush administration was not preparing a precipitous pullout – as some in Congress have demanded. However, he said the US planned to get back down to “our baseline” of 138,000 troops after the December 15 parliamentary elections.
Joseph Biden, a senior Democratic senator, said the US military had no choice but to cut numbers in Iraq because current levels were not sustainable without mobilising the entire National Guard. Mr Biden said he understood Gen Casey had already asked for the reductions next year.
Meanwhile, Iraqi president Jalal Talabani told a conference in Cairo on Sunday that he was willing to speak to insurgent groups.
“If those who call themselves the Iraqi resistance desired to contact me, I would welcome them. I would not refuse to meet any Iraqi who wants to meet me,” he said on the second day of a three-day “national reconciliation” conference organised by the Arab League.
His statement was a rare conciliatory gesture in a process that had involved a rancorous debate over who should be involved in talks.
At the opening session on Saturday, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, prime minister, said he had “set a red line: there is no place for the Ba’ath in Iraq” – referring to the former ruling party thought to make up a large part of the insurgency’s leadership.
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What Rumsfeld didn't say was that they would be redeployed to Iran...
Shush... Our secret war plans are for cabal ears only. Didn't you get the memo?
The one put out by Buckhead?
Iraqi forces grew from 94 000 at end of 2004 to 212 000 near end of October 2005, projected to 225,000 by Dec 2005. I think we have plans to support a 500 000+ man Iraqi military. I know we help Iraq field one armor/mech training division this year with more to come. I think by 2008, a 600,000 man Iraqi Army with 4 to 6 armor/mech division, with scores of US SOF ground control teams (help guide PRM and air strikes) and a logistics/command system manned by US advisors/contractors (guarantees that Iraq cannot go to war without US support) will create a US proxy ground army to handle Syris and Iran. Those two countries are already in trouble with Iraq for their support of jihadist/suicide attackers. Confessions of captured foreign fighters link Syria and Iraq are televised daily on TV. The Iraqi government is building up the public support for war against Syria and Iran.
My guess is that you have not been there and don't really know what's going on.
I guess it was uncivilized to point out that you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry, won't force you to confess your ignorance next time.
And I'll try to type with a British accent because it makes everything sound more civilized and sophisticated.
If you have expertise relating to the subject you could, you know, share it for the betterment of everyone as opposed to saying 'you're ignorant' and leaving it at that. Name calling is the purview of the left; we are supposed to be better than that.
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