US General Sees Significant Withdrawal in Iraq

[beetbox]

US general sees significant withdrawal in Iraq
By Peter Spiegel in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Published: August 24 2005 21:46 | Last updated: August 24 2005 23:49

The US is expected to pull significant numbers of troops out of Iraq in the next 12 months in spite of the continuing violence, according to the general responsible for near-term planning in the country.

Maj Gen Douglas Lute, director of operations at US Central Command, yesterday said the reductions were part of a push by Gen John Abizaid, commander of all US troops in the region, to put the burden of defending Iraq on Iraqi forces.

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Yesterday, the president again insisted: “We will stay, we will fight and we will win the war on terror. An immediate withdrawal from Iraq or the greater Middle East would only embolden the terrorists.”

Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, insisted that Mr Bush and his top generals remained united on the issue. “Any suggestion that there is disagreement between the President and our military commanders in Iraq is absurd,” he said.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/9f81fef2-14de-11da-9df1-00000e2511c8.html

[Roland99]

1. I wish they'd quit with these mexed missages and flip-flops

I'm getting dizzy trying to keep up

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. You mean US Colonel, right?

[MGKrebs]

19. LOL.

[H5N1]

3. an outright lie to appease the easily appeasable

[cliss]

12. How true. In case there is any question about which

DIRECTION our troops are heading, see the other post in the LBN called "Pentagon moves 1,500 more troops to Iraq".

That should settle any lingering questions.

They're liars. Straight-up. They will stand in front of the TV cameras and say, "Yes, ahem....we're going to reduce US troops significantly. Of course, that's when the Iraqis are able to police themselves".

They always throw in a disclaimer, like those sleazy PayDay Loan companies that advertise on the radio. It's about 30 seconds long.

LIARS

[rsmith6621]

4. Wonderful Communication

“Any suggestion that there is disagreement between the President and our military commanders in Iraq is absurd,” he said".

I can see another General will probably be sent into early retirement.....This isnt the first case of bad COM in this administration.

They are CRUMBLING

[grytpype]

5. No one has any fucking idea what is going on over there.

You can find support in recent admin pronoucements for anything you can think of... that we are there indefinitely (bush) to we are out of there next year (this guy).

No one know what the hell is going on over there.

[grytpype]

6. Recommended. The generals are shitting themselves.

They are shitting themselves. From the article:

Last week, Gen Peter Schoomaker, US army chief of staff, said his office was planning for the possibility that troop levels could be maintained until 2009. But Maj Gen Lute said such a worst-case scenario was unlikely.

“I will tell you this, as the operation officer of Centcom, if a year from now I've got to call on all those army troops that Gen Schoomaker is prepared to provide, I won't feel real good about myself,” he said.

[beetbox]

9. US Troops are wiped out

Fatigued in every way and sense.

The Generals know this and the Pentagon brass in the AC'ed rooms in DC deny it.
Of course the architects of this slaughter could not care less.

[MisterP]

7. it's going to become Catch-22 real quick there

[dejaboutique]

8. that's wierd since they said they would add 1500

I heard on one of the MSM networks that they plan to add 1500 troops as of late..doesnt sound like downgrading. liars.

[0007]

14. Hmmmm

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/25/troops.iraq/index.html
More troops are headed to Iraq, this time 1,500 paratroopers to temporarily boost military strength during the fall election period, the Pentagon has announced. Two battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy in mid-September from their home base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This is the third time the United States has raised troop levels during major political milestones in Iraq.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. This has to be a bald faced bullshit lie to prop up chimp's numbers

EVERYBODY else is saying the numbers are going UP. This sounds like a rove = let' confuse them deal.

[Javaman]

11. First you say you do and then you don't...

You're undecided now, so what are you going to dooooooo!

Ah Ella, you said it so well.

They have taken the art of flip flopping to new levels, this is more like back flipping.

colossal failure*

[jwirr]

13. Didn't rummy just say we were going to increase

the number of troops? Here we go again with the mixed signals and lies. Oh thats right the lies never did end.

[Toots]

15. Of course there will be significant withdrawals but only shortly before

ELECTIONS. I don't think even pulling out of Iraq with most of our troops will save their sorry asses this time around. They have shown what they can do with total control and it ain't pretty.

[Ellen Forradalom]

16. It's not necessarily bad

to oblige Iraqi forces to step up to the plate.

Now whether they are motivated or strong enough to do so is an entirely different question.

[trof]

17. "General also reportedly sees pink elephants, red-white-and-blue turkeys."

:eyes:

[classysassy]

18. Ze general

is just following orders.Zeig heil.

[bpilgrim]

20. how often has the WH press-office had to use 'absurd' to fend off ???s

ththis year :evilgrin:


http://media.globalfreepress.com

peace