Free Republic

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the top Pentagon officer repeatedly warned against the costs and potential entanglements of military involvement in Syria. Now he's testifying on behalf of the White House. The nation's top military officer warned repeatedly in recent months that getting US military involved with Syria is a dangerous proposition... Did he change his mind or is he just doing the White House's bidding? In the past, he has made it clear that US military intervention could tip the balance of power in favor of Islamist rebels who don't necessarily have the interests of the United States at heart...

Thanks to joint operations, the insurgency in Iraq is less organized and more fearful than it was month ago, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said in a Baghdad news conference today. Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said that U.S. soldiers operating jointly with Iraqi security forces against insurgents have become much more precise and effective in bringing in "exactly the right people on our terms." . Dempsey credited the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps with helping to defeat the insurgency and helping to shut down several terrorist cells. The division has trained some 4,000 new soldiers for the ICDC,...

The footprint of U.S. troops in Baghdad is changing as Iraqis assume more responsibility for their own security, said the commander of the 1st Armored Division here. Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commander of the 40,000-member task force in charge of Baghdad and its environs, said the idea for the change began in July. The idea is that as the Iraqi security services became more capable, there would be less need for American soldiers in Baghdad. "We began building base camps for our successors that are outside the city limits," Dempsey said. When the 1st Cavalry Division replaces the 1st...

The commander of U.S. troops in Baghdad, delivered an upbeat assessment today of the future in and around Iraq's capital city. In a Baghdad press conference, Army Brig. Gen. Martin Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Division, said he is optimistic about the future of Iraq. "We have only one New Year's resolution. And that is, as the word suggests, to remain resolute in our work to establish a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people," Dempsey said. The general briefed reporters on Operation Iron Grip, the ongoing division effort against cells of Saddam Hussein regime loyalists. The primary...