Posted August 24, 2007 11:33 AM
by Julian E. Barnes and Peter Spiegel
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to advise President Bush to reduce the U.S. force in Iraq next year by almost half, potentially creating a rift with top White House officials and other military commanders over the course of the war.
Administration and military officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace is likely to convey concerns by the Joint Chiefs that keeping well in excess of 100,000 troops in Iraq through 2008 will severely strain the military. This assessment could collide with one being prepared by the U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, calling for the U.S. to maintain higher troop levels for 2008 and beyond, as we report in today's Los Angeles Times.
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Comments
Mr. Barnes and Mr. Speigel should read their own paper. It was the LA Times that reported that it will be the White House, not Betrayus that will write the Sept. report.
Common sense tells that we can't keep our forces in Iraq forever (unlike certain nitwit preznits).
Posted by: weinerdog43 | August 24, 2007 11:58 AM
Damn Defeatocrats have infiltrated the Joint Chiefs!
Posted by: Stan Woodbridge | August 24, 2007 11:59 AM
Bush does what the generals tell him to in Iraq, right?
Posted by: Tony | August 24, 2007 12:02 PM
"LETS WAIT TO HEAR FROM THE GENERALS ON THE GROUND"
LET THE SURGE WORK, GIVE ME MY 66 BILLION DOLLARS NOW!"
GENERAL PACE HAS OBVIOUSLY CLOSED ALL OF HIS OFF SHORE ACCOUNTS, ALL BANK ACCOUNTS AND HAVE QUIT CLAIM ALL PROPERTIES TO A NON MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY.
UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER, BUSH MAY JUST TAKE ALL OF HIS BELONGINGS AND HIS PROPERTY FOR IMPEEDING HIS RECONCILIATION TREATY HE IS LOOKING TO STEAL FROM THE IRAQI PEOPLE.
DIDN'T THE BRITISH ATTEMPT THE SAME COUP DE OIL IN THE EARLY 30'S.
THIS IS A SUCH A NO BRAINER. THIS REGION IS SO FIXABLE. ONE YEAR CEASE FIRE, 60,000 TROOP REDUCTION BY END OF THE YEAR, AND 35% REVENUE SHARING OIL RECONCILIATION THROUGH OUT THE IRAQI REGION.
EAT OUR LOSES AND ALLOW AMERICA TO MORN ALL OF ITS LOSSES.
LET THE REGION FIX ITSELF OR IMPLODE ON THEIR OWN. ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN SHOCK AND AWE.
LONG LIVE OUR GENERALS.
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 24, 2007 1:17 PM
"Top General To Urge Iraq Troop Cut"
You can now add Peter Pace to the long list of Generals whom the Bush administration will choose to ignore.
The Republican Party 26% that want to stick with W. and "stay the course" in Iraq are beyond stupid.
This so-called new strategy, the "surge", isn't about "winning in Iraq", whatever that means, it's about W. keeping this stupid war going until Jan. 09 so he can pass on this clusture*#!% in Iraq to the new Democratic President.
Posted by: John E | August 24, 2007 1:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that Gen. Pace will be replaced by a "qualified" non-comissioned cook from the Coast Guard sometime soon. At which point he'll write a book & appear frequently on MSNBC.
Posted by: Mordechai | August 24, 2007 2:17 PM
Why does General Pace hate our troops?
Posted by: athena | August 24, 2007 4:43 PM
General Pace thanks for stating the obvious!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | August 24, 2007 5:06 PM
Say goodbye to General Pace. He fails to understand that Bush needs to leave office with the occupation of Iraq still in place so that his successor can be blamed for the failure of the Iraq war.
General Petraeus on the other hand understands his role as Bush's "dog robber" is to keep things going for another year and a few months. Just a thousand more dead soldiers. A small price to pay to be able to avoid the blame for a disaster.
Posted by: c. perry | August 24, 2007 6:16 PM
When is the Tribune going to report that its sister paper, the LA Times, and the NY Times got it wrong? General Pace said YESTERDAY that he has not made up his mind. Chalk up another one to the veracity or lack thereof of both Times.
All the news that's unfit to print.
Posted by: Douglas M. | August 25, 2007 10:49 AM