Posted on 11/22/2005 9:26:04 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Barring any major surprises in Iraq, the Pentagon tentatively plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces there early next year by as many as three combat brigades, from 18 now, but to keep at least one brigade "on call" in Kuwait in case more troops are needed quickly, several senior military officers said.
Pentagon authorities also have set a series of "decision points" during 2006 to consider further force cuts that, under a "moderately optimistic" scenario, would drop the total number of troops from more than 150,000 now to fewer than 100,000, including 10 combat brigades, by the end of the year, the officers said.
Despite an intensified congressional debate about a withdrawal timetable after last week's call by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) for a quick pullout, administration officials say that military and political factors heavily constrain how fast U.S. forces should leave. They cite a continuing need to assist Iraq's fledgling security forces, ensure establishment of a permanent government, suppress the insurgency and reduce the potential for civil war.
U.S. military commanders, too, continue to favor a gradual, phased reduction, saying that too rapid a departure would sacrifice strategic gains made over the past 30 months and provide a propaganda windfall to insurgents.
Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, the senior tactical commander in Iraq, indicated to reporters at the Pentagon yesterday that his staff had looked at shrinking U.S. force levels more quickly. But he made his opposition to such a move clear.
"A precipitous pullout, I believe, would be destabilizing," Vines said from Baghdad.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Hi bybybill,Looks like we did it:)
After the December elections, we should be able to reduce our forces, which have been increased over the past few months to almost 160,000.
exactly
Yep. Bad move, IMHO.
It's like a cloud of doom hanging over the war effort. There's such pressure from highly powerful liberals to cut back on troop numbers as soon as possible, when the exact opposite is what we need.
I don't know why, but I have an instinctive feeling this week that both the economy and Iraq are turning the corner for the better. Maybe it's just the holiday spirit, but it looks like the Iraqis are stepping up and at least uniting to fight Al Qaeda.
Cheers,
knews hound
http://knewshound.blogspot.com/
EXACTLY!!! Much like las January when the insipid jFnK went on MTP,iirc, and said that after the election we needed to draw down our troops by 20,000. That, was of course, the plan all along. The extra 20 had been deployed for increased security for the election, with full intention of reducing the force by 20 shortly after the election.
I guess there are only a few out there that can remember anything past breakfast.
That has been our plan all along.
Then along comes Plugs Biden and says we are doing it all wrong. His suggestion? "start to stabilize IRAQ, help rebuild, form a Democratic form of government, and then leave."
Gotta love the RATS. But think about it. Hillary still wants the troops there. So even the RATS are starting to hammer each other.
Yup.
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