ABC: U.S. plans minor drawdown.
ABC: U.S. plans minor drawdown.
“U.S. officials tell ABC News that the troop levels in Iraq cannot be maintained at the present level, either politically or practically, with the military stretched so thin. But that does not imply an immediate drawdown. Officials tell ABC’s Martha Raddatz the senior commanders in Iraq — Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno and Gen. David Petraeus — want the surge to continue until at least December, and expect to report enough progress by September to justify the extension.”
The drawdown would begin in February 2008, although each of the two generals supports a slightly different plan.
Plan one, which officials say is being pushed by Odierno, calls for a reduction in troops from roughly 150,000 today to 100,000 by December of 2008.
Petraeus champions a slightly different approach that would be to cut the troops down to roughly 130,000 by the end of 2008, with further reductions the following year.
John Aravosis has more.
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I thought Time Lines were verbodden.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:55 pmAs long as we’ve got enough troops there to keep our permanent bases occupied, ensure that American companies can steal the oil, and provide for continued no-bid contracts to Halliburton, we can work out the details later.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:56 pmWhy are the pro war people not doing more to rally support? And enlistment?
June 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pmWhat are they thinking? You know if I were BushCo I would be showing images of terrorists acts every chance I could, starting with the video of the dude in the wheelchair being rolled off the ship.
They’re gonna run out of people and supplies and equipment. They’re already plumb out of enthusiastism.
Ah, yes. Just in time for the November 2008 elections. Let’s see if the average American voter falls for it like he fell for Bush’s marketing pitch in ‘00 and ‘04.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:58 pmWhen this crap is over there are going to be alot of frickin Americans super pissed off that more was not done to catch Al Kayduh in the countries where they actually frickin live.
I’m stunned that Zawahiri is still out there with Osama, and that they stopped looking for them, yet they still try to scare us with them. I just cannot believe it. I can’t say it enough I can’t believe it.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:02 pmHow can we “surge” and “drawdown” at the same time?
June 1st, 2007 at 11:04 pmI am so sick of all this posturing.
Please read the great article in The American Prospect: “The Apprentice” by Anthony David. Brilliant, enlightening, and I don’t say that everyday.
http://www.prospect.org/cs/current_issue
Their site is restricted, but you can logon as a guest. If you are a subscriber, congratulations, you get to register as a regular person.
This explains it all, and you will be shocked. Extraordinary. Happy sentencing, Scooter.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:05 pmI’m stunned that Zawahiri is still out there with Osama, and that they stopped looking for them, yet they still try to scare us with them. I just cannot believe it. I can’t say it enough I can’t believe it.
Comment by LandSurveyor
Isn’t it amazing? No one is even looking for OBL.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:05 pmGreat plan. Surge in enough troops so that a year or so later you can bring the troop levels down to pre-surge levels and then claim you are making a major drawdown of troops in Iraq. Oh, did I mention that this would happen before the 08 elections and Bush will be able to sail out of office with the occupation going full swing.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:12 pmDo the math. Petraeus’s projected “drawdown” consists of nothing more than killed and wounded not being replaced.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:20 pmDo the math. Petraeus’s projected “drawdown†consists of nothing more than killed and wounded not being replaced.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire
Oh sick….drawdown by attrition.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:28 pm#6 Mistress Z~
June 1st, 2007 at 11:34 pmI think it’s called a durge, no wait, that’s a dirge. In Dumbfu(k minor.
Don’t forget the highly paid security enforcers that the corporations are enlisting. Our Military, the Soldiers and Marines which are the policepersons, don’t get paid sh_t for being there, but these hired hitpersons get at least four times or more.
Bring our troops home, leave the highly paid there to sort out whatever, and for God shakes, cut the funding off.
P.S. No one believes the lies of Lieberman and crew.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:41 pm#6 Mistress Z~
I think it’s called a durge, no wait, that’s a dirge. In Dumbfu(k minor.
Comment by RUCerious
Maybe the country could just start holding perpetual memorial services every other day, to accommodate the endless dead. What is it going to take to wake up this stupid country? Cuz I’ll do it!
June 1st, 2007 at 11:42 pmThere’s nothing else that matters in Iraq but this: the US election in 2008. Nothing. Nothing at all. It makes no difference how many purple fingered Iraqis there are and how many times they vote, there is only one election system that has ever counted… the US elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008……
And guess what - the Iraqis will cast their votes….. one coffin, one vote.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:44 pm…
this is all bullshit… “sept.07… feb.08… dec.08… end of 08…
the following year”…
it’s all bullshit… they just can’t say “forever”…
but that’s what it will amount to…
bullshit… sickening, disheartening bullshit…
damn the CONS to a special hell…
g’nite all…
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 amNight katy, don’t have nightmares about these bastards…
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:07 amBush will have a few troops taken out of Iraq just before the election in 2008. If you are a brain-dead voter, then Bush hopes you fall for his devious ploy and vote for Republicans.
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 amOh I’m happy now. I can ignore the whole thing for an FU and more! Thank you Gen Patraeus!
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:14 amthis is all bullshit… “sept.07… feb.08… dec.08… end of 08…
the following yearâ€â€¦
Comment by katy
Just a bunch of Friedman Units; that’s all.
June 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 amABC pulled the story– http://rawstory.com/ news/ 2007/ ABC_News_pulls_story_alleging_plan_0602.html
June 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pmjohn aravosis is a tool who bans people from making comments when they criticize him. he can dish it out but he cant take it. apparently im not the only one. ive been speaking to others that have also been banned for simply disagreeing with him. seems as though he doesnt believe in freedom of speech. i would encourage each and everyone who reads think progress to shun americablog. blogs exist for the free flow of ideas. aravosis doesnt seem to see it that way. he runs his blog like bush runs this country. he shuns anyone that disagrees with him. aravosis says some of the nastiest things about bush et al but cant take it if you dont agree with him. hes a cancer among us.
June 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pmThe article at ABC.com is now gone. Disappeared. Deleted. I
just wrote a letter to Member of Congress about Petraeus already knowing what he’s going to say in September and posted it as a diary on DailyKos.
It was when I was trying to link to the story that I noticed it was gone.
What do you think that means?
June 2nd, 2007 at 3:46 pmABC: U.S. plans minor drawdown.
June 2nd, 2007 at 7:41 pmYeah, just in time for more soundbytes just in time for nominations and elections.
Maybe we’ll see flyboy hero, WorldWarZero, appear again in his rented flight suit. Yeah.
well, if abc pulled the story, it’s too late anyway…
the story above links to atrios, which links to the story at abc:
http://abcnews.go.com/ WN/ IraqCoverage/ story?id=3236822&page=1
…
doesn’t seem “pulled” to me…
but i’m not able to copy any of it… (why?)…
…
and, no nightmares, turtle… thanks… :-]
June 2nd, 2007 at 9:14 pm…
The Real Rationale for the Surge?
1. Flood the streets of Baghdad with thousands of American soldiers in the name of creating stability for the “Iraq political processâ€.
2. These troops will draw unprecedented snipers, bombers, etc. from the area and all over the region to “bag an American trophyâ€.
3. The seeds of “Iran†involvement in deaths of Americans was planted months ago. Increase public pronouncement regarding the connection of Iran’s responsibility for the “tragic killing of American troopsâ€.
4. Add an additional, unnecessary US Carrier (opposed by leaders in the military as reckless and not in US interest). Provocative, but also increasing the chances of major confrontation, if even by mistake.
5. Send a belligerent VP Cheney into the region, cast him on the War Ship and have him utter bellicose and threatening comments regarding the Iranian government.
8. Coordinate and cultivate the usual Propagandists at the National Review, Weekly Standard, WSJ and WaPo to pointedly reinforce the Iranian connection– conflate with War on Terror; Mushroom Cloud over the US; Fight Them There Not Here; Iran equals Al Queda and is connected to 9/11.
9. Accelerate the internal attacks against the “surrender monkeys†at State that want to pursue diplomacy to avoid a potent WW111 incident or situation. Use insider Cheneyites and stories and whispers by the aforementioned Propagandists.
10. Once again, tap into the Rove/Bush total focus on political, power and control. Easy manipulated, with no thought given to casualties, costs, or potential historic catastrophic consequences, emphasize that with the polls down, and time running out, there is nothing to lose by throwing the Hail Mary bombs at Iran. The country will rally around the War President, with the added benefit of justifying the continued elimination of Constitutional protection and civil rights– not because there is rational justification, but “because we canâ€, much like pulling the wings off of a butterfly.
Is a rationale for the surge that includes the exploitation of the expected increase in American casualties cynical? Didn’t Wolfowitz at one point admit that WMDs and Mushroom Clouds were always just a pretext for the invasion? The Surgites are smart people, and there is no way they could actually believe that the Surge could really have a meaningful impact in creating stability.
June 3rd, 2007 at 12:33 am