WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2007
Gates: Buildup Criticism "Emboldens" Enemy
Defense Secretary, Blair Support Bush War Plan; Congress Prepares For Opposition Resolution
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Bush: 'I'm The Decision-Maker'
CBS News RAW: In a meeting with military advisers, President Bush said he is the "decision-maker" about sending more troops to Iraq.
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Crackdown On Iraq Violence
Iraqi forces and U.S. troops have launched a major crackdown on violence in Iraq, while politicians in Washington debate over increasing troop deployment. Gwen Belton reports.
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A Model Neighborhood In Iraq
Lara Logan joined a group of U.S. soldiers as they provided much-needed supplies to residents in a Sunni area. She soon saw how humanitarian missions can turn into scenes of chaos.
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes part in a media roundtable at the Pentagon, Friday Jan. 26, 2007. (AP)
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Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the incoming commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, left, watches as President Bush speaks during a meeting in the White House on Jan. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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President Bush, right, meets with, from left, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. David H. Petraeus, the newly confirmed commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, at the White House on Jan. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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New Plan For Iraq
Key elements of the plan, excerpts from the president's speech, reaction and more.
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Battle For Iraq
The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
At the same time, he said the Pentagon is hoping to speed the deployment of five additional Army brigades to Baghdad to bolster security in the capital. They had been scheduled to arrive a brigade per month through May, each containing roughly 3,500 troops.
Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair also said Friday he was optimistic about Mr. Bush's strategy but called Iraq a tremendous challenge.
"I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed," Mr. Bush said in an Oval Office meeting with senior military advisers.
Gates' strong language, along with Mr. Bush's own forceful comments, underscored the high stakes in a congressional battle expected to start next week over proposals from both parties criticizing the president's war strategy.
At the White House on Friday, the president challenged lawmakers not to prematurely condemn his buildup, saying, "I'm the decision maker" on troop levels. Vice President Dick Cheney said earlier this week that the buildup would proceed even if a nonbinding resolution supported by some Republicans as well as Democrats wins Senate approval.
Mr. Bush spoke to reporters in the Oval Office after meeting with Gates and Lt. Gen. David Petraeus. Petraeus won Senate confirmation Friday to replace Gen. George Casey as the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
Stepping up what has become a war of nerves with Iran, the White House also said Mr. Bush had authorized U.S. forces in Iraq to take whatever actions might be necessary to counter Iranian agents who are deemed a threat.
"It makes sense that if somebody's trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goal or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them," Mr. Bush said. "It's an obligation we all have ... to protect our folks and achieve our goal."
Senate Democrats have set debate on one measure opposing the planned troop increase for early next week. The non-binding resolution passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a near party-line vote earlier this week.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said the vote will take place despite stiff administration lobbying and a filibuster threat from Senate Republicans, CBS News Radio correspondent Bob Fuss reports.
Democrats have readied several resolutions with different wording, and Reid says he is confident they will find a compromise that brings most Republicans on board.
At Gates's first Pentagon news conference since taking office on Dec. 18, he was asked his reaction to the debate in Congress over the effect of such a nonbinding resolution.
"It's pretty clear that a resolution that in effect says that the general going out to take command of the arena shouldn't have the resources he thinks he needs to be successful certainly emboldens the enemy and our adversaries," he said.
As controversial as it already is, the surge could be even larger than the 21,500 troops currently slated for Iraq, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. Pentagon officials tell CBS News they are planning for the possibility Petraeus will ask for more.
That will also mean more troops beyond the 24,000 already in Afghanistan — where the Taliban is making a surge of its own, Martin reports. With troops buildups now going on in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army and Marines will be stretched as never before.
Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Blair offered strong support for Mr. Bush's new plan and said he believes the Iraqi prime minister can meet the benchmarks the United States has set.
He said of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki: "He's a man with the intent, and we've got to support him in having the capacity. That's what it's all about."
Many in Congress have accused al-Maliki of foot-dragging and have challenged his capability to quell the sectarian violence tearing apart his country.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and anti-war Democrat Rep. Jack Murtha met with al-Maliki in Baghdad on Friday.
"We come out of the meeting with a greater understanding of the others' point of view," Pelosi, D-Calif., said in brief remarks after the session.
Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee for defense, will have a big say in future spending decisions on Iraq. A onetime hawk on military issues, Murtha for more than a year has been one the most outspoken war critics.
A key piece of Mr. Bush's new Iraq strategy is increasing reconstruction efforts, with the U.S. pledging an additional $1.2 billion. Also, Bush is expected to send Congress next month a Pentagon request for about $100 billion more for Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Congress has constitutional purse strings control over war spending, most lawmakers seem hesitant to support a cutoff of funds that might endanger troops now in Iraq.
Gates said there was "no blank check" to U.S. commanders in Iraq to receive an unlimited number of extra troops; instead, they submit requests for what they believe they need and those are reviewed closely by senior officials in the Pentagon, with final decisions left to Mr. Bush.
"What we have done, I hope, is created an environment in which the commanders feel open to requesting what they think they need and then we will evaluate it here in the department to see what's available and how much of that request we can satisfy," he said.
Asked about indications of potential opposition in the Senate to confirming Gen. George Casey as the next Army chief of staff, given the unsatisfactory progress in Iraq under his command, Gates said Casey was the professional military's first choice to succeed Gen. Peter Schoomaker as the chief of staff at Army headquarters in the Pentagon. Casey had been the vice chief of staff before Bush sent him to Baghdad in July 2004.
"I think he's eminently qualified," to head the Army, Gates said.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 231 CommentsThis has been in the works for fifty years.
It's time for ARMED RESISTANCE.
You can bet that we have way more "arms" than you do.
GW is protecting your chickens--t ***, too.
The strong survive...the rest get eaten.
One smart liberal is worth hundreds of Republinazi Storm Troopers.
Eat ***.
Wouldn't be hard to make a come back...
Ignorance is Strength
Freedom is Slavery
War is Peace
The only "plan" Bozo Bush has is to drag this out until he is safely out of office and drawing his app. $15,000 welfare check from US taxpayers each month. Plus extraordinary benefits, including expenses, security and 100% FREE health care including annual checkups.
All at taxpayer expense.
It's normally called "retirement" or "pension," but given Bozo's total incompetence & corruption, he did not earn it, so it must be welfare.
Must be nice to have taxpayers support you in such lavish style. I'll bet Walmart workers are happy their taxes are used for such a great cause (NOT!).
We are much more stealth now. It's a plot, you know.
Always be on your guard.
Ha Ha You are pathetic! You're not worthy enough to apply George's preparation H.
tuckerndfw "commie puke"
Isn't that what they are smoking in thier glass pipes in our White House ??
Now there's a man we all can be proud of.
We might not be in this position if your boy would have taken at least a few more minutes to listen to his "security."
- But, seriously you keep blaming Clinton when it's Our Decider who has screwed up the entire region on deliberatly wrong intelligence.
Just another Bush failed strategy..
Haven't you heard? The new moniker is King George a.k.a "I'm the decision-maker!"
Do you think lieberman18 and libsarenuts re related?
Go back to Polk who was upset with Mexico and PROVOKED the Mexican war the gave us SoCal and Los Angeles as our spoils.
He did it because he didn't have to deal with a media circus like now and other recent conflicts.
Wonder... if World War II was a media circus, like Iraq... would we be speaking German?
Just think how much blood, treasure, and dignity we could have saved ourselves of the Bush puppet had accepted this challenge?
It was a win-win proposal!
As another said, "we lost two people, now they are going to abandon the mission they died for".
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OSAMA WAS RIGHT....WE CANT TAKE IT!
YOU testified before Congress that the US was losing in Iraq, so how did THAT affect the troops or our "enemies?"
The "enemies" have websites, blogs and access to international media, so it is highly unlikely anything the US Congress does will affect their plans.
It's amazing how these fear mongers in Bozo's administration keep spewing the same nonsense and expecting people to consider them credible, serious people.
Even more amazing that anyone actually does.
Gates is a buffoon if he believes what he says. And if he doesn't, he is a liar. In either case, he is a perfect fit for the Bush administration.
Ok, I think im going to get in the gutter on this one after reading the responses.
War supporters are "neocons", so im my opinion, those against the war are typical "pu$$ies", who would let our enemies walk all over us. In that case, ill take the GOP over the DEMS anyday.
If these criticisms embolden YOUR enemies, then I will redouble my efforts. I look forward to your war-crimes proceedings.
Americans speaking out is a right; to try to keep us quiet is a sin!
2. I will do what I want.
3. You (none of you) are the Boss of me, and I don't care what the Constitution says.
What a sad state of affairs -- reminds me of a stong-willed 2 year old.
Another piece of nonsense propaganda aimed at silencing Americans.
PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE THEMSELVES INTO BOMBS TO DRIVE OUT INVADERS DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ARSE ABOUT SILLY "BOLDNESS" AND COWARDICE!
BRING OUR PEOPLE HOME FROM THE IRAQI HELL HOLE!
OUR FELLOW AMERICANS ARE WASTING LIVES AND LIMBS FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL'S SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED AND WORTHLESS CAUSE!
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."
--Goering at the Nuremberg Trials
simple solution to this problem. Don't build up the troops & there will be no criticism.
Another yes sir *******
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See all 231 Comments