Gates: U.S. Troop Surge in Iraq Paving Way for Political Solution

American Forces Press Service ^ | Steven Donald Smith

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2007 – The U.S. troop surge in Iraq is in its early stages, but seems to be paving the way for a political solution to the country’s woes, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today on CBS's “Face the Nation.”

“The way I would characterize it is so far so good,” Gates said in his first network one-on-one interview since taking over at the Pentagon in December.

Gates said the situation in Iraq cannot be solved by the military alone, but the troop surge is helping create a political environment where issues can be sorted out among the Iraqis. “We’re basically buying them time. That’s the purpose of this whole strategy,” he said. “They’re going to have to step up to the plate. And we can help them by giving them the time to do that, and to make their military forces able to carry the burden by themselves.”

In January, President Bush pledged 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq to help stem sectarian violence, and last week the Defense Department announced that 7,000 more support troops are on their way to Iraq.

Gates said the Iraqis are meeting their commitments and working to reconcile their differences. “The troops they have promised are showing up,” he said. “They are allowing operations in all neighborhoods. There is very little political interference with military operations.”

Gates said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, has said it will probably be summer before it’s known if the surge has been successful. “That’s why we have to wait and see what kind of trend line appears over the next weeks and few months,” Gates said.

U.S. military commanders anticipate that as the U.S. changes its strategy in Iraq, terrorists and insurgents will also change strategies by operating in areas on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders have stated that they wanted to create a firm base in Anbar province and other areas to destabilize Iraq’s neighbors and launch attacks against the U.S.

Characterizing the situation in Iraq as a civil war is an oversimplification, Gates said. “The reality is that stoking sectarian violence is a very specific strategy on the part of al Qaeda and the insurgents,” he said. “You don’t have thousands of Shia and Sunni falling in on each other or attacking each other. You have hit squads going around the city.”

The defense secretary also talked about the vote to take place this week in the U.S. House of Representatives on a bill that would place constraints and a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq. Gates said everyone involved in the debate is patriotic and looking out for America’s best interests, and that most people agree, regardless of political affiliation, that leaving Iraq in chaos would be a mistake.

“We’re all wrestling with what’s the best way to bring about a result that serves the long-term interest, not only of the Iraqi people but of the United States,” he said.

Gates said he was concerned that the specific deadlines and strict conditions in the House bill will make it “difficult, if not impossible” for military commanders to achieve their objectives. “And frankly, as I read it, the House bill is more about withdrawal, regardless of the circumstances on the ground, than it is about trying to produce a positive outcome.”

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

Or if they do report it, without the anti-War Agenda Spin!

[mtbopfuyn]

Gates said he was concerned that the specific deadlines and strict conditions in the House bill will make it “difficult, if not impossible” for military commanders to achieve their objectives. “And frankly, as I read it, the House bill is more about withdrawal, regardless of the circumstances on the ground, than it is about trying to produce a positive outcome.”

We have a year to "fix" Iraq. After that, I'm afraid, the RATs will do everything they can to re-animate Sadam.

[SandRat]

Well the RATS did manage to figure out a way to bring Neville Chamberlain back from the dead in the form of Jimmie Car-Duh!

[jazusamo]

“And frankly, as I read it, the House bill is more about withdrawal, regardless of the circumstances on the ground, than it is about trying to produce a positive outcome.”

Well said by SECDEF Gates. I doubt the Dems are as happy with him now as they were when he was confirmed.

[mkjessup]

Gates said everyone involved in the debate is patriotic and looking out for America’s best interests, and that most people agree, regardless of political affiliation, that leaving Iraq in chaos would be a mistake.

No Mr. Secretary, not EVERYONE is patriotic and looking out for America's best interests, America has an active fifth column of Democrats, leftists, socialists, and assorted America-haters working in the media, in the House, and in the Senate to undermine, demoralize and bring about a failure in Iraq and an American defeat, JUST LIKE THEY DID IN VIETNAM and I personally don't give a tinker's damn anymore if Bob Tyrrell at the American Spectator put his stamp of approval on you because you were William Casey's highly regarded protege', you are now responsible for either achieving victory, or presiding over defeat.

Don't hand us this crap about a 'political solution', that was the same gambit we fell for with the ill-fated 'Paris Peace Talks' and the infamous 4-sided table, which produced the 'Accords' which were trashed by the Commies in Vietnam, the 'Rats pulled the plug on funding for our ally South Vietnam, and the rest was a Southeast Asian bloodbath I'm sure you remember clearly?

It's time to call a spade a spade, and start kicking asses and naming names, and putting the spotlight of the SecDef's office on these seditionists and traitors, because God knows George W. Bush hasn't got it in him anymore to do that, he's too busy making nice-nice with the 'Rats and planning for that grand amnesty program he thinks will be his lasting 'legacy'.

So it's up to you now Mr. Secretary, I'm hoping that Ronald Reagan and Bill Casey won't be disappointed from on high where they're watching this drama play out.

[SCHROLL]

Gates is of course right about this. I just wish one, just one talking head would ask the idiot of the day Dem how he/she expects there to be any progress without violence being quelled first.

[Tom Bombadil]

idiot of the day Dem

Not hard to find. They're all over the place.

[KeyLargo]

You will never see the report in the MSM.

Poll: Only 27 Percent of Iraqis Say Country Is in Civil War

Sunday, March 18, 2007

go to: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259405,00.html

[FreeReign]

Gates said he was concerned that the specific deadlines and strict conditions in the House bill will make it “difficult, if not impossible” for military commanders to achieve their objectives.

Meanwhile House bill voter Ron Paul announced his candidacy this week.

[FreeReign]

Don't hand us this crap about a 'political solution' that was the same gambit we fell for with the ill-fated 'Paris Peace Talks' and the infamous 4-sided table

You take Gates way out of context. Your Paris Peace Talks analogy is BS.

[mkjessup]

Care to substantiate that? I'm not taking Gates out of context, that is exactly what he said, and presumably exactly what he meant.

Our enemies are banking on the hope that America will lose it's will, we will settle for something less than victory, that we will start backing away from our committments, and it is our enemies who believe we will follow the Vietnam model, which includes beginning the whole diplomacy/political solution claptrap, and like our enemies, our domestic seditionists, subversives and leftist adversaries are on the same page.

Anyone can call 'BS' on something, let's see you back it up.