Petraeus: Iraq deadlines not helpful

[sabra]

Source: UPI

WASHINGTON, April 4 (UPI) -- The top U.S. general in Iraq said Wednesday the congressional troop withdrawal deadlines tip the U.S. hand to the enemy.

"I'm not sure that hard and fast deadlines are useful in the sense of providing the enemies out here, you know, just a time to which they have to hang tough and then know that we would be gone," said Army Gen. David Petraeus in an interview with PBS' Jim Lehrer.

...

"There's no question that we all want to see progress and that -- it's very important to convey the need for progress to our Iraqi partners," hed said.

Petraeus said the debate in the United States is not having a noticeable affect on morale because their daily work is all consuming.

"It tends to more than occupy one's day and you don't have a lot of time to think about other things -- other than just getting on with the business at hand out here in Iraq," he said.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20070404-125501-4900r

[BeyondGeography]

1. The American People: The Iraq war is not helpful either

[BOSSHOG]

2. They would be extremely helpful

in getting the Iraqis to prepare to defend themselves. If my neighbor were paying my mortgage and promised to do so until I was able to pay on my own would I object to deadlines? Damn skippy!

[underpants]

3. UPI? + This isn't,yet,a third world country we don't need Gen.s offering their opinions

with all due respect when W said that bullshit about not needing politicians in Warshinton telling generals how to run a war you were supposed to ignore that as the ramblings of an incompetent uninformed idiot, we did.

[tularetom]

4. I remember Betray-us promising results from the "surge" by Labor Day

so what's the problem? AFAIK, none of the proposals for setting a deadline for troop withdrawals were to happen that soon, so why does he give a shit? Maybe he's talking out his ass.

[VegasWolf]

5. Deadlines for ending war not helpful to Corporate War Machine or Exxon. nt

[jwirr]

6. Of course it isn't - the damn war is lost - nothing but bringing our troops

home will help. One of the things they should have taught these idiot in the military is how to lose gracefully.

[Kagemusha]

7. Very political for a general.

Now Bush can say, see, general knows best. (Again.)

[geardaddy]

8. What enemy?

The enemy * sought to destroy was the former Iraqi government. Done. If the mafia showed up and started shooting at US troops, * would add them as an enemy.

If we leave, they cease to be enemies. Done.

Edit: spelling.

[krispos42]

9. Yeah, because the Palestinians gave up and submitted to Israel years go

And so did the Kurds, just gave up against the Turks, Iraqis, and Iranians. And that Spanish separatist group submitted to the central government years ago. Oh, yeah, they'll just get tired and submit.

:sarcasm:

Petraeus, according to his own counter-insurgency field manual, needs about 800,000 boots on the ground to pacify and rebuild Iraq. Why isn't he demanding that Bush and Congress give him the numbers he needs? If, by his own writings, he is not being given what he needs, is he not complacent in our own inevitable loss by not advocating what needs to be done?

If Patraeus admits that he does not have the resources to win the occupation of Iraq and will not ask for the resources that, by his own hand, he admits he needs, then is not this discussion about timetables and benchmarks simply arguing about where you want to be on the Titanic when it hits the iceberg?

[rodeodance]

10. hey Peatraus--We hear you had a little chat with the Repugs--come and

talk to the Dems now-----be fair.

[rodeodance]

11. I will have to catch News Hr at 6

[Thor_MN]

12. Iraq dead troops not very helpful either....

So is the General saying that we are going to stay there forever? Because what the "enemy" wants is for us to leave, making the "war" unwinnable. The only winning move for the US was not to start this debacle. The "war" is a failure, staying only increases out losses.

[ShortnFiery]

13. General Peaches BetrayUs finally speaks.

:eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

14. If Petraeus's surge hasn't worked by March '08, it ain't gonna work at all

so we might as well pack our bags and come home!

[LynnTheDem]

15. GEORGE W. bUSH said deadlines ARE IMPORTANT.

George W. bUsh, when the President has a (D) after his name;

“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
-Seattle Post-Intelligencer on 6/5/99