From: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/world/middleeast/06petraeus.html?hp&ex=1168146000&en=689c1f2b896c5559&ei=5094&partner=homepage
A New Commander, in Step With White House on Iraq
Before the selection of General Petraeus, there was some doubt about whether the top Iraq commander would be an enthusiastic executor of the new strategy President Bush is preparing to unveil next week — one that could send 20,000 new troops to Iraq. Now, the White House will have an articulate officer to champion and shape that strategy, an important asset for an administration that has decided to buck the tide of public opinion by deepening the American military involvement in Iraq. While some Democratic lawmakers have insisted that any increase be limited to a few months, neither the While House nor General Petraeus would support such a deadline.
To many civilians, the military seems monolithic. But in fact, there has been a lively debate behind the scenes about the best way to achieve the United States’ objectives in Iraq — or at least to preserve a measure of stability as sectarian passions threaten to engulf the country.
At one end of the spectrum have been General Casey, Gen. John P. Abizaid, the head of the United States Central Command, and Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who is in charge of training Iraqi security forces.
They have advocated plans to hand over security responsibilities to the Iraqis while gradually reducing American forces and shrinking the number of American bases in Iraq, as conditions permit. Their argument has been that a lengthy expansion of American forces in Iraq will simply put off the day when Iraqis take more responsibility for their security.
Taking a different view, other officers have argued for sending more troops while stepping up economic efforts, the better to apply the military’s new counterinsurgency doctrine. Progress in stabilizing Iraq, they argue, will come only when the Iraqi public does not feel that it needs militias or insurgent groups to ensure its security, and when it concludes that its basic economic needs are being met.
2 comments:
Breaking news:”US Launches Airstrike in Somalia” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2537948,00.html
There we go again. El stupido? A grand debate. What would Bobby do?
Urinate on kerosene in yet another back yard? The whole world is watching. But who cares, no? It is now quite again clearer that Georgie Boy intends to kick some major posterior, Islamic posterior. But he knows they will go ballistic. It is almost as if he is inviting another major terrorist act to get the fires raging here again. This arbiter. Of Armageddon. Hey there, Georgie Boy, swingin’ down the street so fancy free….Dry drunk! Free for all. Black dog boogaloo...
Haveta admit it makes me queasy seeing Teddy up there leading the charge against troop escalation in Iraq, but only because some (many?) question his motives, as they did Bobby's and certainly ole daddy Joe was categorically wrong about Hitler. Hey, let's face it.
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