U.S. Troops Devoted to Iraq Mission Despite Strain, Petraeus Says

American Forces Press Service ^ | Gerry J. Gilmore

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2008 – American troops fighting in Iraq understand the importance of their mission there despite strains caused by repeated deployments, the senior U.S. military officer in Iraq told Senate Foreign Relations Committee members today.

“There is no question that these multiple tours have put enormous strain on the force, absolutely,” Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, told committee members.

Yet, current statistics indicate high re-enlistment rates among troops that have served multiple tours of duty in Iraq, Petraeus said.

Thanks to lessons learned, the training of American troops and education of military leaders heading to Iraq is much better than it was five years ago, when Saddam Hussein was removed by U.S. and coalition forces, Petraeus said.

The four-star general emphasized that he’d like to see overseas combat tours return to 12 month’s duration as opposed to the current 15-month overseas duty tours.

However, “the troopers that we see in Iraq are doing a magnificent job,” Petraeus said.

“Our troopers do an extraordinarily good job, despite the enormous strain that, clearly, they and their families have experienced over the course of the last number of years,” the general said.

Today, U.S. and Iraqi security forces have their teeth firmly embedded in al-Qaida in Iraq’s jugular, Petraeus told committee members, noting that much tough fighting remains ahead.

“We’re staying after al-Qaida … tenaciously; we are battling al-Qaida every day,” the four-star general said.

“And, we have the forces that we need right now, I believe,” Petraeus added.

Biographies:
Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA

Related Sites:
Petraeus Report to Congress
Petraeus Report - Charts
Crocker Senate Foreign Relationship Committee Testimony
Multinational Force Iraq

Related Articles:
Iraq Security Situation Improved, But Remains Fragile

[SandRat]

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[Rocky]

Petraeus is a great man. We are blessed to have him at this point in time.

[Retain Mike]

Contrary to Democrat chants, U.S. troops are best employed in Iraq to win the Global War on Terror. Minimum penance, considering spiritless, pathetic responses to fifteen previous terrorist attacks, obliges U.S. persistence for Iraq representative government. Highlights of our servile behavior include Carter’s failure to defend Iranian embassy sovereignty. Under Reagan, Marines were forbidden to load weapons when guarding their barracks, and we ran after Hezbollah killed 241 in Beirut. Under Bush #1, Arabs around Basra revolted with U.S. encouragement, and then were abandoned to Hussein’s retribution. Under Clinton, we fled Somalia after 18 Rangers were killed, and allowed Hussein to eject U.N. inspectors.

The State Department now reports many African, Oriental and Asian countries willing to confront terrorism, instead of accommodating these bestial elements to become squalid societies. Our credibility as an ally requires our troops sustaining initiatives Iraqi people are taking for bottom up development of stable neighborhoods and cities. Positive changes at the local level allows emergence of moderate leaders demanding and/or facilitating national reconciliation on difficult issues.

Sustaining confrontational initiatives of African, Oriental and Asian countries brings Global War on Terror victory by frustrating plans, breaking alliances and fracturing organizations of Wahhabi jihadists into ever less effective units. Without cities, countries or armies they live out unnaturally shortened lives as pariahs. Sun Tzu would consider mobilizing allies to minimize bloodshed a great achievement of warfare. We will never again fight “The Long War” so cheaply.

[Retain Mike]

I see eight great posts right in a row. Thank you.

[SandRat]

Glad that all these can strength your heart.