WORLD / Middle East
US commanders wary of Iraq troop plan
(AP)
Updated: 2006-12-21 14:35
Newly installed US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (L) greets General
George Casey (R) and General John Abizaid (C) upon arriving in Baghdad
December 20, 2006. [Reuters]
BAGHDAD, Iraq - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates found American
commanders wary of a proposal to rush more UStroops to Iraq as he visited
the war-ravaged country Wednesday.
Special coverage:
Escalating Violence in Iraq
Related readings:
Pentagon wants $99.7B more for wars
Bush warns of more US losses in Iraq
US defense secretary visits Iraq
Gates: Failure in Iraq will haunt US
Bush plans more troops in Iraq
US President Bush is considering that idea and others in his search for a
fresh path in a 3 1/2-plus year war that has no end in sight and has lost
the support of the American public.
On just his third day in charge of the Pentagon, Gates made the
unannounced trip with the administration under intense pressure to forge
a new strategy - and just hours after the president conceded, for the
first time, that the US is not winning the conflict.
After meeting with top US generals at Camp Victory, Gates acknowledged
concerns that rushing thousands more American troops to the battlefront
could allow the Iraqis to slow their effort to take control of the
country. He said no decisions have been made.
"It's clearly a consideration," Gates said of how an infusion of American
troops might affect Iraqi leaders. "I think that the commanders out here
have expressed a concern about that."
Gen. George Casey, the top US commander in Iraq and one of several
generals who met with Gates, said he supports boosting troop levels only
when there is a specific purpose for their deployment. Other military
leaders have expressed uncertainty over the purpose and results of
injecting more troops.
"I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea, but what I want to see happen
is whether, if we do bring more American troops here, they help us
progress to our strategic objectives," Casey told reporters during a news
conference with Gates and other military leaders.
Gen. John Abizaid, top US commander in the Middle East, sounded a more
favorable tone. The military, he said, is "looking at every possible
thing that might influence the situation to make Baghdad in particular
more secure."
Bush said Wednesday he is considering sending more troops to Iraq but has
not made up his mind. No timetables or troop totals have been mentioned
publicly, but by some accounts roughly 20,000 troops would be added to
the 140,000 already there.
The president is expected to announce his decisions next month - when a
new Congress convenes, controlled by Democrats ready to make the war
their top concern.
Echoing some of his commanders' questions about a troop surge, Bush said,
"In order to do so, there must be a specific mission that can be
accomplished with more troops."
Bush is considering choices ranging from a short-term increase of
thousands of troops to bring the escalating violence in Baghdad and Anbar
province under control, to removing combat US forces and accelerating the
training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. More than one-third of
the US troops in Iraq are combat forces.
Gates, on his third day on the job, said he would not form a judgment
until he has spoken to Iraqi leaders, which he is scheduled to do during
his visit.
Also on the trip was Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, plus officials from the State Department, the National Security
Council and the White House.
The timing of Gates' trip, and his entourage, underscored how important
the administration believes it is to set a new direction in the Iraq war.
Gates was noncommittal when asked whether the sectarian violence in
Baghdad can be quashed without taking action against the Mahdi Army of
anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr is a main supporter
of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Gates said he is looking for ways to help the Iraqi government bring down
the violence and "that will be a principle theme of discussions."
Bush and Gates also said they are considering increasing the overall size
of the US military following recent complaints by top generals that the
forces have been stretched too thin by the worldwide campaign against
terrorists. They used no figures, but Bush said he was asking Gates to
produce a plan for the expansion.
Gates said he was just starting to study that idea. He expressed concern
that the Army and Marine Corps are not large enough to face challenges of
the 21st century that might include threats in Iran and North Korea, as
well as natural disasters.
The debate over increasing troops has continued for months, as the
military has been struggling to quell the escalating violence -
particularly sectarian bloodshed - in Iraq. The war has claimed more than
2,950 US casualties and cost roughly US$350 billion.
Some top US commanders have been wary of even a short-term troop
increase, saying it might bring only a temporary respite to the violence
while confronting the US with shortages of fresh troops in the future.
Military leaders are also considering an increase in the number of
American advisers for Iraqi security forces.
Top World News
� US commanders wary of Iraq troop plan
� Turkmen president dies of heart attack
� Al-Qaida hints at power status in Iraq
� Bush warns of more US losses in Iraq
� US official sees no concession on NKorea assets
Today's Top News
� N.Korea nuclear talks explore possible deal
� Turkmen president dies of heart attack
� Stricter rules on ethanol production
� China could save a tarnished GM brand
� New consensus reached in DPRK talks
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment