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Troop levels in Iraq 'a burden' - Powell
news.com.au ^

Posted on 07/18/2007 4:51:55 PM PDT by Sub-Driver

Troop levels in Iraq 'a burden' - Powell

July 19, 2007 09:22am Article from: Agence France-Presse

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FORMER US secretary of state and top US general Colin Powell has said that the current level of US troops in Iraq cannot be maintained beyond mid-2008. Mr Powell, a retired four-star general who was President George W. Bush's top diplomat from 2001 to 2005, and was the military's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff during 1989-1993, also called on Washington to find a way to talk with the powerful Palestinian group Hamas, despite its alleged terror links.

"This is a tremendous burden on our troops and on our families,'' Mr Powell said of the ongoing troop presence in Iraq, in an interview with National Public Radio.

Speaking after Senate Republicans blocked a vote calling for troop withdrawals to start within 120 days and for a complete pullout by the end of April, Mr Powell said the US Army and Marine Corps were stretched to their limit in Iraq since they had not been increased in size despite the greater responsibilities demanded of them.

"It is not sustainable for our troops just to stay over there for an indefinite period at 180,000 person-strength unless there is improvement in the conditions that generate what I consider to be a civil war.

"So we have to have progress on the Iraqi political side,'' Mr Powell said.

Asked if in his opinion the US should start reducing troop numbers in Iraq by mid-2008, Mr Powell said: "I think that's right ... It is not sustainable for an indefinite period at this level.''

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


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To: Sub-Driver

Powell is an expert on affifmative action. Just another full blown liberal.


21 posted on 07/18/2007 5:34:48 PM PDT by Unicorn (Too many wimps around.)
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To: Sub-Driver
but....but....Powell would want 500,000 there!!!

HE IS/WAS Bush's weakest link!

he should take his little fat Snaggletooth puppet, Armitage and do something good for a change....join Hillary;s campaign!!!

22 posted on 07/18/2007 5:35:18 PM PDT by Suzy Quzy (Hillary in '08.....Her PHONINESS is GENUINE !!!!)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

Isn’t it funny that the press has such short memories and never can connect the dots but we on Free Republic can and do?


23 posted on 07/18/2007 5:35:44 PM PDT by american_ranger
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To: alarm rider

I am waiting for Powell to join Oprah and endorse Obama. Powell has appointed himself as “the final word” on the war. The active duty generals serving are the ones that KNOW and count...not the Webbs and Powells!


24 posted on 07/18/2007 5:38:45 PM PDT by katiedidit1
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To: alarm rider
Yeah, you are right. Powell could not bring himself continue when the news showed the death and destruction of the retreating Iraq forces as they left Kuwait. It was just too un-PC to kill the bas%$#@* all the way to Bagdad.

Well, wait a second. I'm not a big Powell fan (especially since he was one of the characters that knew Armitage was the leaker, not Libby, and he sat on it), but has it been determined that Powell stopped the drive into Baghdad back then? As I understand it, the UN resolution was "removal of Iraq from Kuwait", and that was GHWB's call, not Powell's.

And yeah, it would have been better in hindsight if we would have taken care of business back then, with 500,000 boots on the ground.

25 posted on 07/18/2007 5:41:07 PM PDT by FlyVet
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To: american_ranger
I agree, however the "good guys" aren't doing such a good job or 'splaining things these days either.

IMO, we could have had 500,000 plus boots on the ground and an insurgency would have developed anyway . They hid among the people and the people were not going to give them up until
1. they were absolutely sure thar Saddam was not going to return to power, and
2. they were reasonably sure the US was going to see this thing through to a reasonable conclusion.

26 posted on 07/18/2007 5:47:08 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is America's George Galloway?)
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To: Sub-Driver
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But everyone cannot make up their own facts.

Powell isn't a player anymore; he's a pundit.

27 posted on 07/18/2007 5:49:35 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!)
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To: shield
Powell was the one who wanted the war stopped before Saddam was defeated in the first Gulf War. No one is more responsible for the situation in Iraq today than Powell.

And he continues to give the same bad advice: Don't finish the job.

28 posted on 07/18/2007 5:52:57 PM PDT by Mad_as_heck (The MSM - America's (domestic) public enemy #1.)
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To: facedown

Too bad Mr. Powell didn’t do his job when he was Secretary of State - seeking political solutions as the war was being fought. I always felt that Rummy was waiting for State to do its job while he was doing his as Secretary of Defense.


29 posted on 07/18/2007 5:53:20 PM PDT by admiral52 (Vanity license plate: IMGPNG)
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To: Minipax

I’m curious as to why you would be willing to trade Powell for Bush as CIC


30 posted on 07/18/2007 5:53:55 PM PDT by asburygrad
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To: FlyVet
My belief is that Powell advised GHWB to end the aggression due to the fact that Powell was looking beyond Kuwait. He was IMO looking to the Colin Powell fan club.

That GWHB was basically ruled by the UN and by guys like Powell is probable. Did GWHB fail as the commander, yes, I think so. Did Powell pull the punch that would have taken Saddam out then, yes I think so.

The US military should never be aligned with the UN under any circumstances, and officers like Powell should command desks, and not troops.

Powell was and is the kind of General that we get when PC is more important then making war with the ultimate goal of leaving nothing for the enemy to fight with.

The Gulf War should have been prosecuted to the end. It was the perfect chance. Powell and GWHB pulled the punch and we now see it for what it was.

31 posted on 07/18/2007 5:57:57 PM PDT by alarm rider (Why should I not vote my conscience?)
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To: Sub-Driver

Powell is correct. The current deployment schedule is killing the US Army. Unless America gets real about being in a 2 front war and significantly and quickly builds up the Army, Powell is simply stating a fact.


32 posted on 07/18/2007 5:58:32 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I'm agnostic on evolution, but sit ups are from Hell!)
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To: Minipax

Yep, the amazing “Way Back” machine and all the proven woulda, shoulda, coulda.

Never mind logistics, the ability to transport and maintain all the extra men and gear. The stockpiles of spare parts required, that weren’t yet established. The ability to ship in or generate enough potable water to sustain the health of the troops, or even the existence of so many extra boots on the ground in the required MOSs.

Yeah, magic wands are all the rage in the blame gamers and media propaganda regurgitators.

You might want to ask yourself one really deep question.

If having this surge now, is so threatening to our continued military function, where the ****ing hell would all those mystical magical “extra boots” come from and how would our military still be functioning with them already having been in country for the years required?

And just how do you determine that the insurgency was avoidable, regardless of what troop level was used?

Yep, things aren’t all spiffy neat and pristine clean, so therefore, everything was automatically done wrong.

And we wonder why the enemy has it so easy when it comes to eroding our will to fight in this war.


33 posted on 07/18/2007 6:10:43 PM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: alarm rider
As FDR reputedly said, "In politics, nothing is by accident".

I sometimes put on my tinfoil hat when I look at all the seemingly dumb and pointless things we do. It makes me think our "leaders" deliberately sustain agitation in certain parts of the world.

Look at the so-called "Peace Process" in the middle east. What peace process? The "Palestinians" are obviously a proxy for the Muslim world against Israel. Their goal is to drive Israel into the sea. That isn't going to change, I've been watching the "process" since I was a kid in the 70's, and I don't see any real change. It's crazy.

34 posted on 07/18/2007 6:10:54 PM PDT by FlyVet
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To: american_ranger

When you are hired and promoted for ‘qualities’ other than merit, the truth will eventually come out.


35 posted on 07/18/2007 7:05:20 PM PDT by Eagles6
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To: Mr Rogers

We have to go where the enemy goes. Otherwise we are in another vietnam. Going where the enemy goes means going into syria for the weapons, iran for the training camps, and pakistan for the taliban and osama bin laden.

Until then we are just screwing around wasting time.


36 posted on 07/18/2007 7:17:21 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Those that can do, do. Those that can't do, teach. Those that can't do either, run for office)
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To: Eagles6

Thanks, CIA, for sucking so badly that you destroyed Powell’s impeccable reputation. We owe you one!


37 posted on 07/18/2007 7:27:04 PM PDT by brigadoon
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To: Grimmy
Yep, the amazing “Way Back” machine and all the proven woulda, shoulda, coulda. Never mind logistics, the ability to transport and maintain all the extra men and gear. The stockpiles of spare parts required, that weren’t yet established. The ability to ship in or generate enough potable water to sustain the health of the troops, or even the existence of so many extra boots on the ground in the required MOSs. Yeah, magic wands are all the rage in the blame gamers and media propaganda regurgitators. You might want to ask yourself one really deep question. If having this surge now, is so threatening to our continued military function, where the ****ing hell would all those mystical magical “extra boots” come from and how would our military still be functioning with them already having been in country for the years required? And just how do you determine that the insurgency was avoidable, regardless of what troop level was used? Yep, things aren’t all spiffy neat and pristine clean, so therefore, everything was automatically done wrong. And we wonder why the enemy has it so easy when it comes to eroding our will to fight in this war.

You just made a great argument for not going in the first place. I agree with you.

We could have brought hundreds of thousands of troops and supported them; it just would have required a longer build up.

I can't say for sure that the insurgency would have been avoided if we had had many more troops. I can say that we would have done a better job providing security, basic services, and border control (not Bush's strength), and I do think that might have prevented our current dilemma.

If you don't think that things have been done wrong, then you are beyond reason.

I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means on the situation there, but I did do multiple tours in Iraq in a combat MOS. Can you say the same?

Listening to all these keyboard commandos rip on a combat veteran like Powell, and worship the combat-avoiding Bush is more than I can stand.

38 posted on 07/18/2007 7:55:51 PM PDT by Minipax
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To: Sub-Driver

Every time I read about Colin Powell’s disgraceful comments, and the cowardice of some GOP senators, I am reminded of this beautiful prose written about another American president:

“His homely humour stood him in good stead. A sense of irony helped to lighten his burdens. In tense moments, a dry joke relieved his feelings. At the same time, his spirit was sustained by a deepening belief in Providence. When the toll of war rose steeply and plans went wrong he appealed for strength in his inmost thoughts to a power higher than man’s. Strength was certainly given him. It is sometimes necessary at the summit of authority to bear with the intrigues of disloyal colleagues, to remain calm when others panic, and to withstand misguided popular outcries. All this Lincoln did.”

Winston Churchill, A History of English Speaking Peoples Volume IV, page 194.


39 posted on 07/18/2007 8:02:56 PM PDT by Deo et Patria (God bless you, President Bush. And God bless America.)
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To: asburygrad
I’m curious as to why you would be willing to trade Powell for Bush as CIC

1. Powell is a combat veteran. Bush joined the Guard to avoid combat.

2. If Powell were CIC, I don't think we'd be in Iraq at all. I think that going into Iraq was a mistake. Now that we are there, however, I think we are obliged to keep fighting until a suitable government is in power, or the Iraqis prove themselves incapable of sustaining a suitable government.

40 posted on 07/18/2007 8:03:26 PM PDT by Minipax
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