by Aamer Madhani
The Pentagon continues to inch towards shifting troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today said he continues to be pleased by the progress on the ground in Iraq and was hopeful that he could recommend further troop reductions early in the fall.
"I won't go so far as to say that progress in Iraq, from a military perspective, has reached a tipping point, or it is irreversible," Mullen said. "It has not, and it is not. But security is unquestionably and remarkably better. Indeed, if these trends continue, I expect to be able early in the fall to recommend to the secretary and to the president further troop reductions."
Mullen's statement, which did not include any specific numbers, is not new. Gen. David Petraeus, who is the top commander in Iraq, told Congress back in May that he was hopeful of recommending a further reduction in troops before he takes off for his new job in September as head of U.S. Central Command.
But Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who spoke with reporters this afternoon, acknowledged that the situation in Afghanistan has become increasingly volatile in recent months. Last week, nine U.S. troops were killed when hundreds of militants attacked them at a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday near the village of Wanat, was deadliest attack on American forces in Afghanistan in more than three years. U.S. troops have since abandoned the outpost. Mullen said the attack underscored that the militants have "grown bolder, more sophisticated and more diverse."
June marked the deadliest month for U.S. troops since the start of the war in Afghanistan, and in May the monthly U.S. death toll in Afghanistan exceeded the American death toll in Iraq for the first time.
Gates said that he'd like to send more troops to Afghanistan before the end of the year. Yet, it remains difficult to see how that can be done without a significant cut in troops in Iraq. The defense secretary reiterated today that he doesn't want to a reverse a policy of capping troop tours at 12 months.
"I think that we are clearly working very hard to see if there are opportunities to send additional forces [to Afghanistan] sooner rather than later," Gates said.
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Comments
Soooooo, after Bush and McCain spend all of their time going around the country scaring everyone by saying Obama doesn't know anything about foreign policy, what do they end up doing....again?
That's right, they steal Obama's foreign policy plans.
It's interesting that per McCain and his camp, Obama does not have the experience to lead and win the wars but Obama has consistently been making the right calls. McCain and Bush are always a step behind Obama - wow! what does that say if the rookie is beating the war hawk veterans at their so called game?
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/15/is-obama-forcing-mccain-t_n_112890.html
Posted by: John E | July 16, 2008 4:42 PM
"I won't go so far as to say that progress in Iraq, from a military perspective, has reached a tipping point, or it is irreversible," Mullen said. "It has not, and it is not."
So the surge isnt working. No surprise.
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | July 16, 2008 4:58 PM
John E, not sure what you are crediting Obam with, but I don't recall his suggestion to move troops from Iraq to Afganistan. Is this what your are referring to? Personally whomever can take "credit" for this it is the worst idea other than starting the war in Iraq in the first place.The troops in Iraq are exhausted and ready to get some R&R, not go to Afganistan. And Afganistan can't wait till fall for additional troops, with June being the worst month in Afganistan they need help immediately.
Posted by: RFB-IL | July 16, 2008 5:43 PM
not sure what you are crediting Obam with, but I don't recall his suggestion to move troops from Iraq to Afganistan.
Posted by: RFB-IL | July 16, 2008 5:43 PM
Maybe if you would have read the link in my post you would know...do they still teach reading in the creationist school system?
Posted by: John E | July 16, 2008 6:08 PM
I am so With you on this JohnE!
Posted by: Anonymous | July 16, 2008 7:40 PM
RFB: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING...HE'S SAID EXACTLY THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER!!! IT'S OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE SENATOR OBAMA (NOT OBAM) CREDIT!!!! GO ON AND VOTE FOR MCCAIN...WE WON'T MISS YOUR VOTE!!!!
Posted by: Mary in Fort Madison | July 16, 2008 10:53 PM
More troops in Afghanistan? Well, duh. If this criminal administration did it's job in the first place (after 9/11) and finished off AlQaeda where they were (Afghanistan), we wouldn't have the Iraq mess we are in now.
Remember, there was no "AlQaeda in Iraq" before the failed war. Bush handed them the keys with his invasion. Now they are flourishing on 2 fronts. Way to go, braniacs.
Posted by: syj | July 17, 2008 8:50 AM
Wow, I know some are a bit Inflamed over where we are, but realistically both candidates are getting closer to the same position.
Senator Obama thinks it's time to go after bin Laden, and support Afghanistan. He wants to get us out of Iraq in 16 months, but now realizes that he might not be able to do just that without a complete disaster. (He's going to Iraq to judge for himself.. Sounds pretty sound to me.) He's also said that he'll leave a security force there... Sounds like a substantial amount of men and women to me. It won't be 160,000 troops but it's gotta be at least 15,000.
Senator McCain is realizing that his remarks about the U.S. possibly being in Iraq for another 50 years is just plain wrong. None of the Generals believe that, and they have expressed that it was alarmist and bad for moral to actually say that. McCain understands that we will have forces there for quite some time. It won't end with everyone of our forces leaving, we'll have bases there and it'll be similar to the Osaka U.S. military base in Japan. He went to an extreme and is now having to redefine what he said.
Both these guys are realizing what a mistake this is as a campaign issue. They had better start talking about Energy Policy or else Mr. Ralph Nader will be our next President!
Posted by: Mark M | July 18, 2008 5:07 PM