Gates: Iraq Drawdown May Be Delayed

[Meeker Morgan]

Source: AP

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday endorsed, for the first time, the idea of pausing the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq this summer.

"A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense," Gates told reporters after meeting with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Petraeus has indicated in recent weeks that he wants a "period of evaluation" this summer to assess the impact on Iraq security of reducing the U.S. military presence from 20 brigades to 15 brigades.

Of that five-brigade reduction, only one has departed thus far. The last of the five is to be gone by the end of July.

In his remarks at this U.S. base in southern Baghdad, Gates said Petraeus had given him his view on the drawdown, which some fear could result in giving up some of the security gains of recent months.

Read more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080211/D8UO2UJ80.html

[Benhurst]

1. Yeah. Maybe that light wasn't from the end of the tunnel, after all.

[Finite]

2. well

there's a suprise! Could it be that the US military realises, as does everyone else, that the country would decscend into an even more bloody mess were they to leave?

And that situation's not going to change for a long time.. Bush has locked America into this insanity for some time to come.

[LynnTheDem]

3. dupe

[LynnTheDem]

4. Who could have known??!

Wow this is such a SURPRISE!

Not.

So we leave, we "give up security gains". Guess we just stay there forever then.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :eyes:

[Jim__]

5. Haven't we been here before?

Wasn't there a scheduled drawdown at the end of 2003 or maybe 2004 that got post-poned? Maybe the surge isn't really working that well.

[rocktivity]

6. Candidate for this month's "You Call This NEWS?" Award

Say it isn't so...

:headbang:
rocknation

[happygoluckytoyou]

7. THE ONLY LIGHT AT THE END OF HIS TUNNEL IS A PROCTOSCOPE

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. There's a big fuckin' surprise...

:eyes:

[Kolesar]

9. The draw-down of GOP congressmen will be accelerated

I could see this virtual escalation costing the 'pukes another dozen seats in Congress.

[bdamomma]

10. these troops are being held hostage, or is that term

to over the top.

[JBoy]

12. Not over the top at all

Only two ways to "delay the drawdown":

1. Keep those troops already in Iraq there longer (delay their return); or
2. Send in replacement troops that you weren't planning to send in.

Either way this spells "lets keep screwing the troops".

[bdamomma]

13. what this administration is doing to those troops and the Iraqis is immoral

these troops will never be the same again, numerous mental disorders will affect these troops, so sad.

[tuckessee]

14. When one volunteers for something it's hard to consider them hostages. n/t

[sandyj999]

11. In the Immortal Words of Gomer Pyle

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. The "Surge" has been so successful, why stop now?!

[eringer]

16. January 20, 2009 is When the Real Drawdown Begins

And it starts with the DepSecDef and Betrayus.

[ReformedChris]

17. Wow, that surge is working and I sure didn't see this news coming outta nowhere..

:sarcasm:

This military plan is built on the premise of a permanant American military force stationed there. Anyone in the administration who trots out lies to the contrary are exposed for what they are. Gates is just warming up his seat at the Hague with Bushie, the cybernetic head of Dick Cheney, and the rest of the Crawford Cronies.

[pegleg]

18. Just how much longer are we going to put up with this crap?

http://www.stoplossmovie.com/SoundOff/post.php?vid=9&respond=430

[MasonJar]

19. I hate their guts as we used to say in grade school. I know the troops on their

third and fourth tours are really happy to hear the news from Gates.