Bush To Outline Plans To Cut 30,000 Troops

Officials Say President Will Adopt Gen. Petraeus' Recommendations On Cuts By Next Summer

(CBS/AP) 

If Republican support for the war holds, as it might for now, Democrats would have to soften their approach if they want to pass an anti-war proposal. But they remain under substantial pressure by voters and politically influential anti-war groups to settle for nothing less than ordering troop withdrawals or cutting off money for the war - legislation that has little chances of passing.

Word of Mr. Bush's plan spread on a day in which several Republicans on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee and its Armed Services Committee sharply questioned Petraeus and Crocker in separate hearings.

“Are we going to continue to invest blood and treasure at the same rate we're doing now? For what?” asked Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who supports legislation setting a deadline to bring troops home.

Whereas Republicans were once deferential to the thinking of officials running the war, particularly uniformed officers, Hagel and other GOP senators on the panel said they doubted that simply giving war commanders more time would necessarily yield results.

“In my judgment, some type of success in Iraq is possible, but as policymakers, we should acknowledge that we are facing extraordinarily narrow margins for achieving our goals,” said Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Norm Coleman said he appreciates plans to return troop levels to 130,000 but that he wants a longer-term vision other than suggestions that Petraeus and Crocker return to Capitol Hill in mid-March to give another assessment.

“Americans want to see light at the end of the tunnel,” said Coleman, R-Minn.

Echoing testimony given to the House on Monday, Petraeus and Crocker acknowledged that Iraq remains largely dysfunctional but said violence had decreased since the influx of added U.S. troops.

Crocker said he believed Iraq had “almost completely unraveled” in late 2006 and early 2007. The increased security, if given more time, could pave the way for political reconciliation, he said.

The ambassador said he fears that announcing troop withdrawals, as Democrats want, would focus Iraqi attention on “building the walls, stocking ammunition and getting ready for a big nasty street fight” rather than working toward reconciliation.

“I do believe that Iraq's leaders have the will to tackle the country's pressing problems, although it will take longer than we initially anticipated because of the environment and the gravity of the issue,” Crocker said.

The stakes are high, he added.

“An Iraq that falls into chaos or civil war will mean massive human suffering - well beyond what has already occurred within Iraq's borders,” Crocker said.

The hearing fell on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

One unusual moment in Tuesday's hearing came when Petraeus was asked if he believes the surge strategy in Iraq was making America safer, reports Reid. Petraeus said he doesn’t know and that he's so focused on the mission, he hasn't yet sorted that out.

Warner said he hoped the general kept in mind the casualties that might result from his recommendation. He also said he did not think the U.S. strategy should rely on Baghdad's political progress because it might not happen.

[toldyouso21]

Impeach bush march on Sept 15 (Saturday) in Washington DC. Go to Impeachbush.org or sept.15.org--it is about more than impeaching Bush, it is finally doing more than blogging--a way to stand up, get off our butts and allow our numbers to speak for us.

Everyone should stand up--if for no other reason than it makes it harder for a fascist to put his boot on your neck. Good night

[toldyouso21]

You''d think Congress would have learned by now: Every time they give Bush power--he exploits it to the fullest and they think they can stop that big Raiders of the lost Ark stone from rolling downhill on top of us. He wanted authorization to use force--they gave it---he used it to start a war that cannot end.

he wanted to interrogate in questionable ways and detain people --they gave it to him, it extended to Americans eventually and to abuse by the FBI, CIA and homeland security.

he wanted a surge and said the results would show in the Spring. they gave it to him and the dates for proof got pushed further and further back.

He keeps abusing power, and they keep giving him more--every single one who voted to broaden the power of such a person is an idiot and just as culpable as Bush is.

he said is guy would be the impartial voice to determine if the surge is working...they said ok...classic, all they need to do now is work on their routine or smacking each other, running in circles and practice saying larry, mo and curly........

[skyk-2009]

There you go, Skyk, President Bush is the Fascist Libs'''' Hate Target...
When jobs improve, but housing drops, blame Bush.
When the Dow is up, but some guy doesn''''t have insurance, blame Bush.
When the US hasn''''t been attacked since 9-11, but Libs roll out NSA surveillance issues, blame Bush.
When tax revenues are at a 30 year high, but Libs want to raise taxes on the wealthy, blame Bush.
This could go on and on and on....
You guys just aren''''t worth it.
Posted by tcoleman12 at 10:26

FASCIST is RADICAL RIGHT wing man! You have to study the subject not just look for an opening like you fascist do. Bush started a war that did NOT have to be. He lied to me and to this nation and LIED about Bin Laden. You can''t change that no more than you can change the fact that the people in this nation NOW have the lowest standard of living in the industrialized World or that our national debt has doubled. When I visit that Wall where my friends names are I have to answer to they why I sat by and allowed yet another group of men to be sent off to die for NO REASON... maybe that''s easy for you to do, you fascist seldom have any honor, but for a Combat Vet and a Marine, it most certainly is.

[j-whitman]

The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

[hungry1968]

VICTORY IS AMERICAS ONLY CHOICE

Posted by screen_name_ at 09:27 PM : Sep 11, 2007



Define "victory" for me please.

[tcoleman12]

There you go, Skyk, President Bush is the Fascist Libs'' Hate Target...
When jobs improve, but housing drops, blame Bush.
When the Dow is up, but some guy doesn''t have insurance, blame Bush.
When the US hasn''t been attacked since 9-11, but Libs roll out NSA surveillance issues, blame Bush.
When tax revenues are at a 30 year high, but Libs want to raise taxes on the wealthy, blame Bush.
This could go on and on and on....
You guys just aren''t worth it.

[j-whitman]

"Our movement took a grip on cowardly Marxism and from it extracted the meaning of socialism. It also took from the cowardly middle-class parties their nationalism. Throwing both into the cauldron of our way of life there emerged, as clear as a crystal, the synthesis -- German National Socialism."
- Hermann Goering

[skyk-2009]

There you go, Skyk, President Bush is the Fascist Libs'''' Hate Target...
When jobs improve, but housing drops, blame Bush.
When the Dow is up, but some guy doesn''''t have insurance, blame Bush.
When the US hasn''''t been attacked since 9-11, but Libs roll out NSA surveillance issues, blame Bush.
When tax revenues are at a 30 year high, but Libs want to raise taxes on the wealthy, blame Bush.
This could go on and on and on....
You guys just aren''''t worth it.
Posted by tcoleman12 at 10:26

FASCIST is RADICAL RIGHT wing man! You have to study the subject not just look for an opening like you fascist do. Bush started a war that did NOT have to be. He lied to me and to this nation and LIED about Bin Laden. You can''t change that no more than you can change the fact that the people in this nation NOW have the lowest standard of living in the industrialized World or that our national debt has doubled. When I visit that Wall where my friends names are I have to answer to they why I sat by and allowed yet another group of men to be sent off to die for NO REASON... maybe that''s easy for you to do, you fascist seldom have any honor, but for a Combat Vet and a Marine, it most certainly is.

[j-whitman]

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis,

[seven-pesos]

take a look at the demographics of fat people in america...

you''''ll see that the fattest people are in the south stretching from texas to west virginia...

take a look at the bible belt area of america...

it exactly overlaps the fattest states of america.

fat people and christian people...bush loving republican people!

nothing good comes out of the south.