General Grilled By Congress

Gen. John Abizaid Says Timetable For Exiting Iraq Would Increase Ethnic Violence

(CBS/AP) 
Asked directly what effect he foresaw on sectarian violence if Congress legislated a phased U.S. withdrawal starting in four to six months, Abizaid replied, "I believe it would increase."

"It seems to me that the prudent course ahead is to keep the troop levels about where they are," Abizaid said, while placing larger teams of U.S. military advisers inside Iraqi army and police units. He said that increased emphasis on advising Iraqi units might be accomplished without significantly increasing the total U.S. force in the country.

With voters expressing overwhelming opposition to the war, Mr. Bush the day after the election expressed a willingness to consider fresh approaches to Iraq policy and announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who had become a symbol of the unpopular war.

Abizaid said he believes U.S. troop levels, now at about 141,000, should stay steady but may have to rise temporarily to train and advise Iraqi military units. No reductions are advisable until Iraqi security forces become more capable of dealing with the insurgency, securing Baghdad and dealing with the Shiite militia problem, he said.

"Our troop posture needs to stay where it is," for the time being, he said.

CBS News military consultant Jeff McCausland says Abizaid was frank with Congress, saying Iraq is still an uphill battle.

"He seemed optimistic and pointed out that things, he thought, had improved somewhat since August — which saw some of the most intense period of sectarian violence — though he's quick to add we haven't exactly turned a corner in Iraq," McCausland said.

Clinton asked about the wisdom of partitioning Iraq along sectarian lines, with autonomous regions for the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.

"Partition in Iraq could only be achieved at an expense of human suffering and bloodshed and forced dislocation that would be both profound and wholly unacceptable, I believe, to the American people," said David Satterfield, the senior State Department adviser on Iraq. "It is wholly unacceptable to this administration."

Pressed by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., on how much time the U.S. and Iraqi government have to reduce the violence in Baghdad before it spirals beyond control, Abizaid said, "Four to six months."

Developing a "capable, independent" Iraqi government and armed forces "will set the conditions for withdrawal" of U.S. forces, Abizaid said. He offered no timetable for reaching that point. But he said earlier, "I remain optimistic we can stabilize Iraq."

He also acknowledged under questioning that Anbar province, where the Sunni insurgency is strongest, "is not under control." Nonetheless, he said, the main U.S. military effort needs to be in Baghdad rather than Anbar.

Reflecting the division of opinion on how to proceed in Iraq, the next chairman of the committee said the administration must tell Iraq that U.S. troops will begin withdrawing in four to six months in order to force them to take responsibility for their own future.

"We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves. The only way for Iraqi leaders to squarely face that reality is for President Bush to tell them that the United States will begin a phased redeployment of our forces within four to six months," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

An AP-Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that people consider Iraq the top priority for Congress over the next two years. But a majority of people, 57 percent, say the Democrats in Congress have no plan for Iraq — highlighting the sense of frustration over the war that was started more than 3½ years ago.

Asked about his testimony in August that Iraq could fall into civil war and that the sectarian violence was as bad as he had ever seen it, Abizaid said that more recently the situation has improved, while still troubling. He visited Baghdad in recent days.

"It's certainly not as bad as the situation appeared back in August," Abizaid said, adding that he saw growing confidence among Iraqis in their government. "It's still at unacceptably high levels," he said of the sect-on-sect violence "I wouldn't say that we have turned the corner in this regard, but it's not nearly as bad as it was in August."

Asked by Levin whether he was considering increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, Abizaid said he was considering "all the way from increasing U.S. combat forces all the way down to withdrawing" them. He said he would present recommendations to his superiors.

Wednesday's hearing was the first on Iraq policy since the Nov. 7 elections, when voters handed Democrats control of Congress in part because of their frustration over the lack of progress in Iraq. Just over a third of the public approves of Mr. Bush's handling of the war, according to AP-Ipsos polling last month. About six in 10 think the U.S. military action in Iraq was a mistake.

Satterfield told the committee that the situation must not reach the point where ordinary Iraqis believe they are better protected by unauthorized militias than by their own government.

"Hope for a united Iraqi will crumble," if that happens, he said. "Such an outcome in Iraq is unacceptable. It would undermine U.S. national interests in Iraq and in the broader region. And it would lead to a humanitarian disaster for the Iraqi people."

[feelfree1]

General Abizaba has disgraced our country more than enough. His services are no longer required.

The Iraqi people have every right to defend themselves against the brutal and illegal occupiers of their country.

Watching Americans now try to blame the Iraqi people for the disaster that U.S foreign policy has created there, is disgusting.

Our "leaders" and their bloodthirsty supporters, don't seem to be able to take responsibilities for any of their failures or atrocities.

Perhaps we should just send them (the Iraqis) a few thousand new Playstations and they can kill on TV instead of real life

Most people do not know that the U.S never left that area after the Gulf War in 1991, people and supplies were constantly rotated out of Seymour Johnson AFB NC, as well as Fort Bragg, I know, I have spent nearly 3 years of my life there. Its been 16 years now that we have been flying over Iraq. Its time to bring our troops home and not hope we can achieve democracy, it just is not going to happen. These people love to fight, its in their blood, they inherited it from their fathers and grandfathers, and will hand it down their children

[firststate]

I can apply the administration's logic to my previous post. My grammatical errors prove that I am improving because there could have been even more errors. The lack of those potential errors is progress, right?

[firststate]

Abizaid thinks things are better than in August, the numbers say otherwise. He just returned so he knows the situation there. Could anyone expect anything else from an officer who survived the Rummy%u2019s purge of our competent and forthright military leaders? Did he leave the green zone or other highly fortified areas? Rather than a political hack who might have been a soldier at one time, I find powersmaker%u2019s point of view more realistic. Bravado like Americans not leaving a job unfinished and singing the national anthem are romantic but not practical. Two tours almost certainly provided a different point. Witnessing casualties among your friends must take away war%u2019s glamor, but powersmaker is still going back. The terms bravery, honor and patriotism come to mind. I offer my gratitude and respect for your service. My prayers are with you guys. We have to find realistic way to minimize the time your generation%u2019s heroes must face the danger there, by dumping failed strategies.

Abizaid and other generals have said that they need 4-6 months to turn the corner for a couple of years now. The argument that %u201Cwe%u2019re doing everything right%u201D doesn't work when the situation continues to get worse. More attacks on our troops than in October than August is NOT an improvement in the real world.

[powersmaker]

WVopfor81 ... you just proved my point ...

I asked all the "pro stay the course" folks what they had done to support the war, and you answered me with a quote from Jefferson.

In the words of Garth Algar ... "Live in the now!"

[lestb35]

I doubt it but I'm sure he has many many times previous. What's your point?

[crystala7378]

I have 1 question. Does he stand on the frontline and put his life in danger?

[crystala7378]

I have 1 question. Does he stand on the frontline and put his life in danger?

[crystala7378]

I have 1 question. Does he stand on the frontline and put his life in danger?

[pakaal]

How is it we have the highest casualty rate ever last month yet Gen. Abizaid says it's better now than in August?

powersmaker - hope you make it back to your family safe, good luck.

[old300d]

No more Presidents from Texas PLEASE ! ! !

[observantx]

We absolutely need to get out of Iraq. We got suckered in by ultra rightwing ideologues manipulating their puppet president. Their motives, whether greed, power, ideology, or all the above will be addressed later at their trials. Getting out is going to be infinitely more difficult than going in. Just packing up and leaving is irresponsible. We didn%u2019t ask hard questions and now we are paying the price in blood and limbs. Far too many of us let ourselves be intimidated when branded as unpatriotic and un-American. The mainstream press rolled over like a little puppy. This makes us responsible for the carnage.

A timetable is too restrictive. Having it open ended is not viable. The Iraqis must be told that at a near future point, they are on their own. There need to be specific goals the Iraqis must achieve for us to continue supporting them. Muzzling the radical clerics and dismantling their militias goes to the top of the list. Shifting from just shooting at insurgents to discovering who they are through police work and intelligence gathering is next. With insurgent identities in hand, cleaning out the death squads in the Interior Ministry, army and police force is next. Training the police and army adequately to take over is the last step.

This is how we get out and in some small way pay for this folly. Hopefully, this bloody lesson will stay with us a very long time.

[wvopfor81]

To grumpas,
What the **** do you know?

To powersmaker, sorry dude I disagree lets just get the F*** out we will be back in 2 years
Do you look on smil%u2026 think long term

"It should take more to make peace than to prevent war. The sword once drawn, full justice must be done. 'Indemnification for the past and security for the future,' should be painted on our banners." --Thomas Jefferson to Robert Wright, 1812. ME 13:184

[wvopfor81]

not in the artical .... why ,,, that is bull SH!@
"The enemy understands this as well. They are waging a psychological war of attrition -- planning attacks to gain the maximum media coverage and the maximum public outcry.

They want us to believe that perseverance by us is futile, rather than necessary;
They want us to focus on our casualties and losses, not on the people causing the casualties and losses;
They want us to think about what will happen if our forces stay in Iraq, as opposed to the consequences if our forces were to leave prematurely;
They want us to be divided, because they know that when we are united they lose;
They want us pointing fingers at each other, rather than pointing fingers at them.
I know there are calls in some quarters for withdrawal or arbitrary timelines for withdrawals. The enemies hear those words as well. We need to be realistic about the consequences.

[grumpas]

He has the audacity to tell us it's better than it was in August?????? Bush must love him!!! Everyday it's a terrible death toll on both sides! He has the nerve to think he is fooling someone? The figures do not add up to what he is saying! When are these people going to get it through their heads??? Iraq is a dead horse they are beating to death! We shouldn't even be there let alone having this asinine discussion! Give it up boys!!! Get Out!!!

[powersmaker]

I welcome all you "pro" stay the course folks to take my spot on my 3rd rotation to Iraq. (By the way, I have a wife with two kids). You know, I have to tell you, when I get on the plane, I don't think about all your "America is the strongest country in the world" and "Americans don't leave a job unfinished" ... it's romantic ... but not practical. You know, when I drive the streets on anytown USA, everything seems pretty much the same ... the *** that goes on over there goes on and Americans continnue to live their life in bliss. So ask yourself ... what have YOU done to support the war ... really ... before you sing the national anthem about "stay the course". And by the way ... I am a Marine, and I love my country.

[kcstan11]

He said it's better now than it was in August ... BULL. We are still losing about 3 troops every day. That's 90 a month Charlie. He is giving us the same military answer that we got from Westmoreland in Viet Nam, coincidently the country that GWB is visiting to improve trade relations.

Are we going to wait until we have 550,000 troops in Iraq, like we had in Viet Nan?

George Bush is a religios MORON (Canada got that one right). You want peace in Iraq George ... put Saddam back in power.

[mjv2944]

Split the country and oil money into 3 pieces and come home. Its not worth one American life. They will be fighting long after we're gone and will be fighting all the time we are there. We are stuck in a tribal country that is engaging in a civil war. They appear to like killing one another, I say let them, and bring our troops home. Wonder what the outcome of WWII would have been with the current military leadership. Scary thought, huh.

[lucidvoter]

Why does it always have to be either "Cut and Run", or "Stay the Course". Seriously folks we're all on the same team here. If they want us out so bad, offer a "cease fire" deal to the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. No attacks for (insert negotiated time here), we start withdrawing (insert negotiated troop redeployments here) troops. We may even work a deal with UN / NATO, that if violence levels rise again, internationally appointed peacekeeping troops will replace American soldiers. It seems that we should have SOMEONE in our Government that may have thought of this before. I realize that this whole situation is complex, but if our government handles this crisis with a generous amount of humanity and intelligence, we will succeed in Iraq, we will succeed in the war against terror, and America may even win the backing of our allies and neighbors again.