Posted on 07/16/2007 7:40:45 AM PDT by bnelson44
BAGHDAD: A U.S. general directing a major part of the offensive aimed at securing Baghdad has said that it will take until the spring for the operation to succeed and that an early U.S. withdrawal would clear the way for "the enemy to come back" to areas being cleared of insurgents.
Major General Rick Lynch, commanding 15,000 U.S. and about 7,000 Iraqi troops on Baghdad's southern approaches, on Sunday spoke more forcefully than any U.S. commander to date in urging that the so-called troop surge ordered by President George W. Bush continue into the spring of 2008. That would match the deadline of March 31 set by the Pentagon, which has said that limits on U.S. troops available for deployment will force an end to the increase by then.
"It's going to take us through the summer and fall to deny the enemy his sanctuaries" south of Baghdad, Lynch said at a news briefing in the capital. "And then it's going to take us through the first of the year and into the spring" to consolidate the gains being made by the U.S. offensive and to move enough Iraqi forces into the cleared areas to ensure that they remain so, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
He declined to be drawn into what he called “the big debate in Washington” over the war, saying U.S. troops would continue to battle the enemy until ordered to do otherwise. But he made it clear that his sympathies lay with the Iraqis in his battle area, mostly between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, that extends about 130 kilometers, or 80 miles, south of Baghdad and includes four of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The offensive he commands is part of a wider push by U.S. and Iraqi forces in all the areas surrounding Baghdad, and in the capital itself, that began in February.
“What they’re worried about is our leaving,” he said. “And our answer is, ‘We’re staying,’ because my order from the corps commander is that we don’t leave the battle space until we can hand over to the Iraqi security forces.”
To hold on to recent gains, he said, would require at least a third more Iraqi troops than he has, and they would have to come from other battle areas, or from new units yet to complete their training.
“Everybody wants things to happen overnight, and that’s not going to happen,” he said.
From a previous posting...slightly modified..but this is where we are at. Any pullbck now would be dead ass stupid.
Pakistan is set to implode. Once it tips, India will kick a$$ as opposed to letting talibanani cavemen get control of the nuclear arsenal. Once Musharaff loses control/gets whacked, which is not far away, the gloves will come off.
Same with Iran/Syria/Saudis. Excepting our Israeli friends are on the frontline. SO..the politics/resource calls and expectations will change.
Once Pakistan is spanked, HALF of the problem will go away. The other half lies in Iran/Syria/Saudiland. Once the JOOOS deal a nasty spanking,the dynamics will change.
Spank these places good, and the situation will clear
Iraq and Afghanistan will just fall into place.
This global aberation of cavemen philosophy should dry up.
Sure, they have 1400 years into this caveman cult crap...but face it - there is no room for that crap today.
“This global aberation of cavemen philosophy should dry up.
Sure, they have 1400 years into this caveman cult crap...but face it - there is no room for that crap today.”
Your thinking of the middle men, the Pakistanis and Iran. The problem goes upstream to their client states Russia & China, especially China. Lop off the tail of the dragon you are still facing a dragon. The problems with Iran/Russia/Saudi could be solved by us becoming energy dependant but the leadership in Washington is non-existent to handle such bigger problems.
I mean energy ‘independant’ lol
these iranian guys are not that big....
all ragtop and no goats
their economy is about 60% of Texas
sure they have commitments with russia and china...
Give them something in exchange..business..technology..
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