Posted on 10/24/2006 12:22:08 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
America's top general in Iraq said he was considering sending more troops to help quell the violence in Baghdad, as he and the United States ambassador laid out a timetable for progress that they said has been agreed to by the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the timetable includes settling political differences between the country's competing groups through a "national compact" within the next year, and taking quick action on some of the country's most obdurate issues, including cracking down on Shiite militias, persuading Sunni insurgents to lay down their arms and reaching a fair division of oil revenues.
Ambassador Khalilzad said that some of these steps should be taken in the next few weeks, while he expected others to be completed a year from now.
"Iraqi officials have agreed to a timeline for making these difficult decisions," he said.
Mr. Khalilzad appeared at an usual joint news conference with Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top military commander in Iraq, at a time when relations between Mr. Maliki's government and the Bush administration have become increasingly strained and the conflict has taken center stage in the fall Congressional campaign.
General Casey defended the effort to quell sectarian killings in Baghdad, which has led to a surge in American fatalities, saying that it has had a "decisive" effect in the neighborhoods that have been its focus.
Last week the military's top spokesman said the strategy was being re-evaluated in light of "disheartening" increases in violence elsewhere in the city, and the need for troops to return areas that had already been cleared.
Today General Casey declined to say what new measures were being contemplated. But he raised the possibility that solidifying any gains in Baghdad may require an increase in forces.
"Now, do we need more troops to do that? Maybe," he said. "And as I've said all along, I will ask for the troops I need, both coalition and Iraqis."
Military officials have said that American troops have borne the brunt of the Baghdad fighting, in part because the Iraqi army did not deliver as many soldiers as had been called for in the plan devised before the crackdown began in August.
General Casey also said that bringing peace to the capital was ultimately beyond the military's control. "I think it's important for all of us to understand that we're not going to have total security here in Baghdad until the major political issues that are dividing the country are resolved," he said. "The political leaders understand that. And they're wrestling with that part of it."
The surge in sectarian killings has disrupted the American military's original plan to draw down its forces in Iraq over the course of the year. General Casey said that the reductions, which began last December, were halted in June when it became clear that increased Iraqi forces in Baghdad were not having enough of an impact.
He said that had "a very strong belief" that the American military eventually needed to reduce its presence -- "we have to get out of their way," he said -- but declined to say if further reductions were possible.
"I can't tell you right now," he said, "till we get through the month of Ramadan and the rest of this, when that will be."
General Casey said that 300 members of the Iraqi security forces had died during Ramadan; at least 89 American soldiers have been killed this month, making it the year's deadliest.
The general said that at their current rate of development, in 12 to 18 months the Iraqi security forces "will emerge as the dominant force in Iraq," but said that even then some level of American support would be needed.
Mr. Khalilzad said that some of the milestones laid out in the plan could be achieved by the end of the year, like laying the groundwork for for the transfer of more areas to Iraqi military control and reaching an international accord that would link aid to economic reform.
Others would take longer, Mr. Khalilzad said, adding that he expected a national compact to be in place in a year's time.
No time frame was mentioned for the disarming of Shiite militias -- perhaps the most politically difficult step for Mr. Maliki, a Shiite politician whose coalition depends on groups with ties to the largest militias.
And Mr. Khalilzad and General Casey did not say what American officials planned to do if the timetable is not met.
Among the other steps that Mr. Khalilzad said must be completed "in the coming weeks" were drafting a law on the division of oil revenues; amending the new Constitution to deal with the concerns that led nearly all Sunnis to oppose it; transforming the current effort to rid the government of members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party into a vehicle for "accountability and reconciliation," and scheduling long-delayed provincial elections.
Many of these issues lie at the heart of the divisions between the country's ethnic groups. Some Shiite groups remain vehemently opposed to allowing former supporters of Mr. Hussein to take government positions. The national assembly that drafted the Constitution was unable to reach agreement on the division of oil revenues. Sunnis demanded the right to revise the Constitution because they feared that it left the door open to the creation of autonomous regions that could fracture the country. The Shiite-led government has so far ignored their promise to consider amendments, and Kurds and Shiites in Parliament recently passed a law allowing for the creation of such regions beginning 18 months from now.
Today's news conference in the heavily defended government Green Zone was briefly interrupted by a power outage. During the session, both men spoke scathingly of Iran and Syria, who they said were working to provoke instability.
Mr. Khalilzad lumped the two countries together with Al Qaeda as "the enemies of Iraq."
By contrast, they referred to the Sunni insurgents who until recently have been the main source of attacks on American troops in more measured terms, calling them "the resistance," and drawing a distinction between them and "terrorists and extremists" described by Mr. Khalilzad.
General Casey called them "the Sunnis who fight us and claim to be the honorable resistance of Iraq," and said that American officials have begun talking with them, along with the Iraqi government.
General Casey described the security situation as "difficult and complex," adding that "it's likely to remain that way over the near term."
"We have seen the nature of the conflict evolving from what was an insurgency against us to a struggle for the division of economic and political power," he said.
By John O'Neil
New York Times
but they don't kill him - and its not like he is in hiding - he could be killed at any time, but isn't. he could be sent a message at any time by knocking off one of his "lieutenants" each and every day until he got the message, but that doesn't happen either.
and that tells you what the problem is.
The problem with using more force is political. The current Iraqi government won't let us attack Ramadi or go into Sadr City.
The time to go on the offensive was before we got ourself locked into a government where an attack on any faction threatens to collapse that government.
The appeal of the national salvation government idea is that the gloves could come off.
seems our pilot posted the same thing back in Aug
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1690518/posts?page=8#8
Now that's interesting!
but somewhere along the line he's lost 10 years of service in the Navy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486385/posts?page=19#19
Looks like ya' caught somebody in a lie,Didn't Ya',,?
OBTW,,,Great Sons You Got There...
Pilot,
the politics underpinning the current political spin is complex, but basically the President IS applying pressure and setting deadlines, using the current political climate in the US as an excuse to pressure the reluctant Iraqi's to shape up or risk losing our support. The coming 10 days will reveal the new strategy in better detail.
Don't believe the doom and gloom in the press about "stay the course" inflexibility in the administration. This is total hogwash. The President knows that we're streched, but also wants the Iraqis to show they are willing and able to take control themselves, in the near term.
HUMIT has a good handle on things.
then let's go for the coup option. the current status quo cannot continue indefinitely, even the administration realizes that now I think.
Its best to give the Maliki government a few more months, if can can't do anything by Feb. or March then the situation will be bad enough that the Iraqi Army could carry off coup without too much trouble.
This item on cnn gave me pause and your post made me wonder if they were somehow connected.
"We need to kick the crap out of those bastards or get the hell out and let them kill each other. What do you think?"
I think Bush bet on our ability to overcome centuries of Arab tribalism, and violence inherent in islam. He thought a taste of democracy would be a powerful incentive, and that (almost) all would rally to his vision.
Yet few, if any, examples can be found among these people of the kind of modern civilization we hoped to softly impose.
So I agree with you. Blast them down to the extent we did
Germany and Japan. Sort of like an alcoholic or addict hitting true bottom.
Or quit kidding ourselves, and let them grovel in their chosen misery. It is their culture. Like DNA.
Sad story is right....resign your commission and go the F*ck home! I am very depressed about it....well, get over to medical and get some Zoloft first. Shameful. Master Sergeant/Iraq
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.