Gen. David Petraeus, left, recommends, Bush announces.
by Mark Silva
President Bush today will announce a cutback in individual troop deployments in Iraq – cutting the limit on each deployment from 15 to 12 months starting in August – as he also announces a lull in overall troop withdrawals this summer to assess the situation.
“He is going to accept the recommendation of Gen. Petraeus -- that we continue to draw down troops, going from 20 to 15 brigades,’’ Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said this morning. That drawdown will end in July, and then the military will pause for 45 days to assess the situation before any further changes are made.
“The other thing that the president wills say today,’’ she said: Following last April’s announcement that many troop deployments would be extended to 15 months, they will be cut back to 12 months starting this summer. That means, starting with troops deployed on Aug. 1, no one will serve more than 12 months overseas and no home leave will be shorter than 12 months. Many troops already have served repeat deployments.
“We think that will start to help deal with the stress issues in regard to these deployments,’’ Perino said today.
The president will deliver his statement from the Cross Hall of the White House at 11:30 am EDT, before heading to his Crawford, Texas, ranch for the weekend.
Last fall, when Bush announced the start of a gradual drawdown of troops deployed with the “surge’’ that he ordered last year, he called it a “return on success.’’ Today, the White House was asked if the 45-day lull in draw-downs that Bush will announce following the withdrawal of those five brigades and also many Marine forces by July is an acknowledgement of something short of success..
“The return on success was based on the security improvements we have seen in Iraq,’’ Perino said. “We think that the right thing to do is continue on the return on success of troops coming home… and then have a brief period, 45 days…. To assess (the situation there). That’s the responsible thing to do.’’
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Comments
Sounds like "stay the course" to me.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | April 10, 2008 10:03 AM
President Bush has it right, following the suggestions of his field commanders. Much preferable to two of the presidential candidates who have no military experience but think they know more than commanders on the ground. Neither one is qualified even to be a corporal in the Army, let alone Commander in Chief. Just what this country needs: amateurs.
Posted by: Jefferson | April 10, 2008 10:54 AM
Bush is doing what his 4 star general suggests, that's a real tough one...I'm sure Obama would use the same sound judgement and listen as well. Hillary on the other hand would'nt listen to anyone except slick willie and the interns..If you want to learn what's really behind this war, you should watch "Bush's War", Frontline, the country and the world is fooled by manipulations of a few key people, all Bush was doing was taking advice from his trusted advisors and made some unsound judgements, but there is alot more at fault than Bush....
Posted by: Kris | April 10, 2008 11:27 AM
And we're supposed to assume you do Jefferson?
yes, this is the right course of action but it should have been done before this point in time. Our president is so out of touch with the american people its no wonder his approval rating is 29% and dropping. Hopefully McCain can fix this once he takes office.
Posted by: Ryan | April 10, 2008 11:47 AM
Its time to bite the bullet and start the draft and put the correct amount of troops on the ground. This way we can quickly complete the ground operations, and send everybody home or move to the next phase in Iran or Syria
Posted by: joey | April 10, 2008 11:54 AM
I agree with the pause; however, I have another question. Quote: ".The president will deliver his statement from the Cross Hall of the White House at 11:30 am EDT, before heading to his Crawford, Texas, ranch for the weekend." Could anyone tell me what kind of livestock is grazing on that ranch? If no one can, and it turns out there is no livestock, could anyone tell me if it's possible to have a ranch without livestock? What's my point? If someone will claim to have something he doesn't have, what else will he claim? That someone has something that the other person doesn't have? Hope to hear from you ranchers out there on this one.
Posted by: Jean Chevreille | April 10, 2008 11:56 AM
Bush is definitely making the right choice by shortening the troops tours of duty. However, what this country really needs is to get out of this ill-fated war that is draining our country of all of its resources. Putting more soldiers in Iraq is not going to cause us to "win." The US is never going to be able to get rid of Al Qaeda indefinitely and we are not going to be able to turn Iraq into a functing multi-party democracy overnight. There's no chance, and yet if republicans have their way, we will stay the course until all of our credibility and resources are demolished. I think that Obama has a pretty decent paln for Iraq, check it out.
http://campaigncircus.com/video_player.php?v=9035
Posted by: kim | April 10, 2008 12:44 PM
Did anyone notice that this does nothing for already deployed solders and anyone being deployed between now and Aug.? They all have to do the 15months.
That means no one gets the "benefit" until 6 months after this administration leaves office.
Posted by: JohnJ | April 13, 2008 12:45 PM
"accept the recommendation " is a pathetic, transparent ruse to trick the simple minded. How easily it is to forget how many generals he dismissed, fired, retired before he found the "general" who would "recommend" what he wants to hear.
Posted by: Michael | April 13, 2008 9:41 PM