Posted on 08/13/2005 6:43:39 PM PDT by blam
Bush slaps down top general after he calls for troops to be pulled out of Iraq
By Philip Sherwell in Washington
(Filed: 14/08/2005)
The top American commander in Iraq has been privately rebuked by the Bush administration for openly discussing plans to reduce troop levels there next year, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.
President George W Bush personally intervened last week to play down as "speculation" all talk of troop pull-outs because he fears that even discussing options for an "exit strategy" implies weakening resolve.
General George Casey
Gen George Casey, the US ground commander in Iraq, was given his dressing-down after he briefed that troop levels - now 138,000 - could be reduced by 30,000 in the early months of next year as Iraqi security forces take on a greater role.
The unusual sign of US discord came as Iraqi politicians and clerics drafting a new constitution continued their own wrangling over autonomy demands by various factions.
Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president and a Kurd, predicted that a draft of the new constitution should be ready today, 24 hours ahead of Monday's deadline, but other delegates were less optimistic.
"If God is willing, tomorrow it will be ready," Mr Talabani told a news conference in Baghdad yesterday, but admitted that two significant issues remained unresolved: the question of federalism in the south, and the relation between religion and state.
Shia Muslims, who lead Iraq's interim coalition government, are pushing for a clause saying that all laws passed by parliament must be compatible with Islam - a proposal most other participants oppose.
Meanwhile, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, threatened to kill any imam who backs the constitution, according to a statement posted on the internet yesterday but whose origin could not be independently verified.
Cindy Sheehan protesting outside Mr Bush's ranch
Mr Bush is expected to place phone calls to some of the senior Iraqi negotiators in Baghdad if the deadlock remains. Last week as he came under renewed pressure from anti-war protesters to pull out, he dismissed any prospect of an immediate troop withdrawal. Mr Bush was responding to calls by Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who has set up a protest camp outside his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where Mr Bush is on holiday.
Politically, the administration will be under pressure to signal a significant cut in the US presence by autumn next year to help Republicans fighting mid-term elections in November 2006. Military commanders, however, also need to wind down numbers, the imperative that prompted Gen Casey's comments, according to Dan Goure, a Pentagon adviser and vice-president of the Lexington Institute defence think-tank.
"It's number-driven," Mr Goure said. "The military can only maintain these levels in Iraq if it has absolutely no choice. Otherwise, the current pattern of rotations and other commitments mean that they will have to lower numbers."
There will, in any case, be a short-term increase in US troop levels to cover the Iraq elections scheduled for December. After that, said Mr Goure, the military has drawn up three broad strategies for cutting troops.
Their "best scenario" target is to reduce numbers to 60,000-70,000 by next autumn if Iraqi forces start to make progress against the insurgents. The fall-back option would be Gen Casey's minimum 30,000 reduction by the summer.
There is also a rarely-mentioned "Plan C" - complete withdrawal if all-out civil war erupts between the Shias and Sunnis, both of whom are engaged in a last-ditch battle for political territory in the current negotiations.
The Kurds and Shia Arabs want strong regional governments to be created in their northern and southern strongholds. But the minority Sunni Arabs, who dominated the country under Saddam Hussein, fear that they will be left with the central dust-bowl.
Sunni religious leaders, who led the boycott of January's elections, are now calling for their followers to register to vote in case they decide to oppose the constitution's federalism clauses in October's referendum.
The constitution will be considered void if it is rejected by two-thirds of voters in three provinces. Sunnis form a majority in four provinces.
A chemicals production plant thought to have been built by insurgents was found by US forces last week in a raid near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
While the effects on parts of the economy are a real concern, as well as military considerations, I absolutely couldn't care if the cost were $10 a gallon in order to secure our global interests.
This might have some interest for you. The consequences would be far reaching and could involve more than just the price of gasoline.
LOOKING AHEAD: OIL: By William F. Buckley Jr.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ucwb/20050813/cm_ucwb/lookingaheadoil
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1462732/posts
Looks like Gen George Casey just chose to end his career by undermining his Commander in Chief. Another one of those boomer generals who like the feel of early retirement, a few rounds on TV and a book contract.
I very much doubt Gorbachev said that. Are you implying that the collapse of the USSR was and is all part of some grand Communist plot to lull the US into passivity before they unleash a RED DAWN-style invasion.
Reagan was Presdident in '87, then Bush, then Clinton. Did Gorbachev plan Clinton back then?
Sometimes we all drink too much coffee.
[I know I do]
;)
Though oil is a primary manufacturing base for chemicals and raw materials, he also cites the author's examples like this-
"Suddenly forced to pay double for a gallon of gas begin to brown-bag their lunches, inching away from restaurants and sandwich shops."
- apparently not seeing the benefits it brings to the brown paper bag industry. So referring back to my point, it is mainly luxuries that will suffer - besides the small detail of fueling our Army, Navy, and Air Force.
I am of the shameless opinion that "luxuries", in 2005, are largely wanton, wasteful, sinful, spiteful, obnoxious, liberal (to be redundant) items that I would gladly see gone from this land.
yup...
I am standing up applauding you for that line. Short simple and to the point.
Political hardball.
You're two steps ahead of me. Hope you're right. But hope is not a strategy.
For the lazier of us at this hour, can you [ or ayone else] give a link / Cliff's Notes to what you mean? Sounds very interesting. Thanks in advance.
Are you new to forums?
It's late for me...when I first read this line:
QUOTE:...this was done deliberately as a warning to the waivering members of the constitution committee. They were going to try to drag this thing out for several more months. UNQUOTE
I didn't realize it meant the comittee in Iraq, so I wanted a link to whatever big US 'constitutional committee' news story I was missing.
But yeah, having read forums for a long time am new to actually getting involved. Now I'm in I think a drug habit might have been less involving.
We should warn both sides now: If Civil War starts, we will help supply whatever side is losing, until both sides slaughter each other.
Then, after the few remaining beg us to stop, we'll start again at setting up a government.
I agree with that, regarding the timing of this.
but I also don't think its a secret anymore - there will be some US troop reductions in 2006. and yes, some of the reasons for that are political. and I'm not upset about that in the least. let the iraqi forces take over more convoy and checkpoint duty, we are losing alot of US soldiers in those roles. we've already won the war our forces were designed to win over there. pacifying iraq, the idea that these roadside bomb attacks and car bombers are going to be completely eliminated - and only then will we be able to say "we've won" - is about as nuts as thinking the LAPD can totally eliminate gang violence in Los Angeles.
I'm basing my opinion on the fact that it took the Iraqis 6 months to form their new government (it only takes the US 2 months and we're HUGE)
I'm also basing the opinion on the fact that the constitutional committee went before the council and requested an extention of several months "to work out the problems".
The 6 months we waited for the government to form allowed for a lot of chaos. No way are we going to go through that again. It also gives answer to those who are claiming that we're going to stay forever, that we're occupying Iraq. By having a US general talk about leaving, and then having the US president say "we'll stay as long as it takes" lets the Iraqi people know that we really do plan on leaving.
The Peshmerga are some of the most fierce warriors in Iraq.
I with you there. When my sister instant message's me she now says "can we talk or are you on FR"!
I'm all in for freedom and democracy, but then you can't take China to be the same as Iraq, Iran, Syria or Afghanistan.
For starters, they have nuke-tipped MIRV ICBMs aimed at US cities.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/gwcasey.htm
The story of General Casey's dad.
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