Bush Orders Halt In Iraq Withdrawals

President Backs Top General's Recommendations On Troop Levels, Orders Shorter Combat Tours

(CBS/AP)  President Bush on Thursday ordered an indefinite halt in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after July, embracing the key recommendations of his top war commander. Mr. Bush said Gen. David Petraeus will "have all the time he needs" to consider when more American forces could return home.

Mr. Bush's decisions virtually guarantee a major U.S. presence in Iraq throughout his term in office in January, when a new president takes office.

In another major decision, the president announced he will seek to relieve the heavy strain on the Army by reducing the length of combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan to 12 months, down from the current level of 15 months. He said the change would take effect on Aug. 1, and would not affect U.S. forces already deployed on the front lines.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that the president hopes the plan will help deal with "stress issues" for troops and their families, reports CBS News correspondent Peter Maer.

Mr. Bush said U.S. forces have made major gains since he ordered a buildup of about 30,000 U.S. forces last year. "We have renewed and revived the prospect of success" the president said.

Mr. Bush delivered his remarks in the Cross Hall of the White House before an audience of veterans' service groups and Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The president's decision had been foreshadowed by two days of testimony before a skeptical Congress by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad. Now in its sixth year, the war has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 U.S. troops and cost more than $500 billion.

Iraq and the sagging economy have taken a heavy toll on Mr. Bush. His job approval rating has fallen to just 28 percent, a new low in the Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

Mr. Bush said the United States would proceed with planned drawdowns of U.S. forces, bringing home the 30,000 troops he sent to Iraq last year to combat sectarian violence. The additional troops were also intended to help restore basic security and provide a sense of calm to allow Iraqi leaders to attempt to achieve political reconciliation.

"I've told him (Petraeus) he'll have all the time he needs," Mr. Bush said. "Some have suggested that this period of evaluation will be a pause. That's misleading, because none of our operations in Iraq will be on hold. Instead we will use the months ahead to take advantage of the opportunities created by the surge and continue operations across the board."

While acknowledging that "serious and complex problems remain in Iraq," Mr. Bush said that "a major strategic shift" has occurred since the buildup.

"Today we have the initiative," the president said.

Mr. Bush also called on Congress to send him a spending bill for Iraq that does not include any timetables for troop withdrawals or exceed the $108 billion he has requested. Last spring, Congress added $17 billion in unrequested domestic add-ons such as children's health care, homeland security and heating subsidies.

Now, Democrats are eyeing using this year's war funding bill to stimulate the economy with road-building funds, additional unemployment benefits, a summer jobs program and additional food stamp benefits. The measure is slated to advance later this spring.

Mr. Bush said he would veto the spending measure if Congress fails to meet his conditions.

"While this war is difficult, it is not endless," Mr. Bush said in a message directed to troops, but surely to the American public as well.

The president said that only as conditions in Iraq improve will he bring more troops home, a policy he calls "return on success."

"The day will come when Iraq is a capable partner of the United States," Mr. Bush said. "The day will come when Iraq's a stable democracy that helps fight our common enemies and promote our common interests in the Middle East."

"And when that day arrives, you'll come home with pride in your success," Mr. Bush said to the military and U.S. civilians in Iraq.

Mr. Bush used his speech to challenge Iran anew. He said the regime in Tehran has a choice to make: live in peace with its neighbor, or continue to fund and train militant groups that terrorize Iraqi people - charges that the Tehran government denies.

"If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq," Mr. Bush said. "Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners."

After his remarks, Mr. Bush boarded a helicopter on the South Lawn to begin a journey to Texas for a weekend at his ranch.

In remarks prepared for a Senate hearing later on Thursday, Gates said he and the senior military leadership at the Pentagon "concur with the course the president has chosen in Iraq."

"I do not anticipate this period of review to be an extended one, and I would emphasize that the hope is, conditions on the ground will allow us to reduce our presence further this fall," Gates said. "But we must be realistic. The security situation in Iraq remains fragile and gains can be reversed."

Even before Mr. Bush made his announcement, war critics went on the attack.

"We are six years into a war that has claimed more than 4,000 American lives ... cost nearly a trillion dollars that could have been used to meet urgent needs at home and damaged the reputation of the United States in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Mr. Bush in a letter she released late Wednesday. "General Petraeus admitted on Tuesday that `we haven't turned any corners, we haven't seen any lights at the end of the tunnel' in Iraq.

"The American people are entitled to know when they will receive a more hopeful report than the one provided by General Petraeus, and what changes in policy you will make to achieve it before you leave office," Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

She added that Mr. Bush needs to tell the American people how keeping 140,000 troops in Iraq will help reduce the threat the nation faces because the U.S. military is bogged down in Iraq, what conditions will be needed for further troop withdrawals beyond July and how much longer the threat from extremists hiding along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will be allowed to "grow because our resource commitment in Iraq makes is impossible to respond adequately."

[bluestardad]

IF YOU WANNA STOP THE WAR FILE FOR WAR CRIMES TRIALS!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[prinzowhales]

More of ''heroes'' have gotten it on with a military mom in Iraq...Rush are they jut "letting of steam" like they did at Abu Ghraib...or when they torture animals...or as when they murder civilians?

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4618275&page=1

Of course, the soldier and KBR employee who raped this woman weren''t lucky enough to have the woman ''commit suicide'' like the woman who accused George W. Bush of rape....Had anything else to eat since Brownsville, W?

[underdogus]

we can''t leave IRAQ!!! THE UNITED STATES will become a third world Nation if we lose Iraq...capice?

[truth-hurts]

Is anyone having trouble posting comments on the "misteps" story??

[piercetheval]

..I hear he''s also planning on taking a big **** on the Oval Office floor and then buttscooting out the front door just before the Demos take the White House.
Sounds about right.

[cfin5]

Since we obviously need to listen to a military general''s recommendations concerning the rules of warfare to succeed, we should also listen to our ideological generals recommendations for their rules of living free,.......our Founding Fathers!

[perceptions5]

Isn''t always interesting our America''s corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack press likes to distort information?

CBS News/AP liberal reporters decide to use the adjective "halt" like we are going to permanently stop our draw down in Iraq.

Fortunately we have streaming video and C-Span where you can hear the "truth" come directly from Petraeus"s mouth.

I believe truth is the we will "pause" for 45 days and after that time a deicision will be made as to further troop draw downs.

What a truely sad press corps.

[piercetheval]

TODAY IS CALL-IN DAY ON IRAQ.
Call your representative. Tell him/her to say NO to Bushs'' request for 102 billion more for the "War" in Iraq.
Tell him/her to co-sponser Lynn Woolseys'' HR5507.
Just say, "NO", to endless war and debt.

[prinzowhales]

More structural engineers have come out to say 9-11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB!!--A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION!!

http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/2008/04/14-structural-engineers-have-now.html

Where is the investigation? Where is mainstream fifth estate?--In the gutter...imbedded with the Regime...

TROOPS HOME NOW! THE ENEMY IS IN WASHINGTON!!

[formrusmcsgt]

He''ll have a harder time arguing that political reconciliation - his rationale for sending 30,000 more troops to Iraq last year - has been achieved.
--

And why is that?

Because the Iraqis know they have a sucker in the White House who''ll keep wasting American treasure and time ad infinitim, so there''s no impetus for them to from a real government.

And there are more suckers here supporting that stupidity.

[truth-hurts]

Not only did Obama NOT leave Trinity Church but in 2005 & 2006, he gave them $27,500.
-NY Times 3-26-08

[bgwinnett]

we can''''''''t leave IRAQ!!! THE UNITED STATES will become a third world Nation if we lose Iraq...capice?

****************************

We will need to invade the whole of the Middle East''s Oil producing Nations then, if they switch their Oil trading prices from Dollars to Euros(Iran did 2 years ago) and thus sinking the Dollar and precipitating economic apocalypse.Get ready for the bombing of Iran this fall ,the last throw of the dice, expect snakeyes.

[thinkharder-]

we can''''''''t leave IRAQ!!! THE UNITED STATES will become a third world Nation if we lose Iraq...capice?
Posted by underdogus

Most sane people recognize this. That doesn''''t include liberals :)
Posted by liberalbias1 at 07:55 AM : Apr 10, 2008

Excuse me, but what exactly was sane about that statement? If we left Iraq, thereby strengthening our military (ie our ability to defend ourselves and our homeland) and improving our opportunity to move some much needed funds toward domestic issues, how exactly would that have us sinking into third world status. What a rediculous thing to say.

[underdogus]

TROOPS HOME NOW! THE ENEMY IS IN WASHINGTON!!
Posted by Prinzowhales ..if you believe that, then you might as well roll up into a little ball and let THE WORLD ride over you........

[armydog2]

The financial burden this war is placing on taxpayers will continue to put us in a recession and will turn us into a third class nation ,stay the course is not good policy. The price of oil that has been driven to record highs is directly related to us being in Iraq.and is a major cause of this country being in a recession. again stay the course is not good policy.
Continually putting our Soldiers in a war zone and then not taking care of their medical needs caused by spending 2 and 3 tours of duty in a war zone is not good policy. So now ya want to tell me that this administration is NOT bringing this great country to her knees.

[formrusmcsgt]

To perception5 and the like, I''d like to pose the following question:

We have 2 trillion wasted in direct and long-term costs already, 4,025 American dead todate, so just what is Iraq worth to you? 5 trillion? 10,000 dead?

Just what would be your "cost-ceiling" before saying it''s not worth more?

[underdogus]

What a rediculous thing to say.

Posted by ThinkHarder.. really??? keep an eye on gas prices....... and watch your head.......

[mudrose-2009]

To perception5 and the like, I''''d like to pose the following question:

We have 2 trillion wasted in direct and long-term costs already, 4,025 American dead todate, so just what is Iraq worth to you? 5 trillion? 10,000 dead?

Just what would be your "cost-ceiling" before saying it''''s not worth more?
Posted by formrusmcsgt

Let''s ask John Murtha to surrender his $600 million in Pork along with the rest of the Porkers left and right so we can take care of the financial cost of the War which constitutes just about .01% of Budget. Then we can take all that fat porkers money and put it into state funded programs to enlarge Big Titty Nanny Government programs for slugs like you. Yup, we can do that.

[formrusmcsgt]

Let''''s ask John Murtha to surrender his $600 million in Pork along with the rest of the Porkers left and right so we can take care of the financial cost of the War which constitutes just about .01% of Budget. Then we can take all that fat porkers money and put it into state funded programs to enlarge Big Titty Nanny Government programs for slugs like you. Yup, we can do that.

Posted by mudrose at 08:16 AM : Apr 10, 2008

You''re evading the question.

What''s your answer?

[lowell43]

Bush To Embrace Halt In Iraq Withdrawals

Just cut the tour down to 12 months on a pernament basis. Hopefully there will be less deseration among the Iraq Army and Police. Those who have deserated don''t have to worry about their Army and Police hunting them down and throwing them into a brig.

If any military personnal of the USA deserted in battle, the military police would hunt them down and they (the deserters) would take up residence at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and get an dishonorable discharge.

We have the most displined and trained military perosnal in the world. Next in line would be the United Kindgom and France of the free world.

[underdogus]

will continue to put us in a recession and will turn us into a third class nation ,stay the course is not good policy. Posted by armydog2 ...ahh catch 22!! dog catch 22........................

[mudrose-2009]

Let''''''''s ask John Murtha to surrender his $600 million in Pork along with the rest of the Porkers left and right so we can take care of the financial cost of the War which constitutes just about .01% of Budget. Then we can take all that fat porkers money and put it into state funded programs to enlarge Big Titty Nanny Government programs for slugs like you. Yup, we can do that.

Posted by mudrose at 08:16 AM : Apr 10, 2008

You''''re evading the question.

What''''s your answer?

Posted by formrusmcsgt

I don''t pimp victimization of our troops like you. I do recall you spit on them anyway so don''t give me what''s your answer *********. You people ranted on about the Surge. It worked. Then you people ranted on about the Benchmarks. al-Maliki and Government completed 12 of the 18 benchmarks.

[mudrose-2009]

They now have a military of 153,000 strong which went into Basra and is trying to clean up the militias and the rest of the trash that''s exploiting their oil. And the Media noted the 1,000 Iraqis that fled. Your party played every angle so now it''s the cost aspect. How much are we willing to spend. How much of your freedom are you willing to give up. Obama wants to know what the meaning of "Success" is. Hillary wants to know what the meaning of "Defeat" is. Endless stupid rhetoric. Patraeus said one thing rather clearly which is Iran. He''s said it over and over again. Iran has 6,000 centifruges. The world community better get on it. So don''t give me your usual anti-American rhetoric, cry baby.

[gkc99]

So Bushit will "take the advice" of Petreus?

If General Pet hadn''t given the correct advice, no doubt he''d be joining Shinseki and Fallon, and a general who would give the "correct" advice would be found.

The "correct" advice being what the puppetmasters who move Bushit''s mouth want.

[cbsblogger]

Of course Bush would buy into what Petraeus says, because Petraeus is nothing but a puppet/mouthpiece for the administration. Bush has fired all the flag or general officer staff that are competent self thinkers.

[omnibus66]

Next year, under a Democratic president, our troops will come home. Within six months, Iraq will stabilize itself, with the resulting death toll only a small fraction of the million or so that the decider has killed.

And it will be at least 20 years until a Republican is elected to any office, anywhere.

[underdogus]

CATCH 22 is a military term is confusing and difficult to describe this catch keeps Bush in the WAR because a concern for one''s own life prove that He is not really crazy, and to get out of combat you have to be crazy.. when you think everything is perfect,catch 22 pops up and makes your plans impossible...

[mudrose-2009]

Of course Bush would buy into what Petraeus says, because Petraeus is nothing but a puppet/mouthpiece for the administration. Bush has fired all the flag or general officer staff that are competent self thinkers.
Posted by cbsblogger

Well your mouthpieces are rather vile as well. Pewlosi, Harry the Weasel Reid, RamaLamaObama and Senator Thunder Thighs. So please don''t give us your puppeteering *********. The lefties like Ted Kennedy have bigger mouths and have more strings attached to them than a fishing net.

[dinkydog1]

we can''''''''''''''''t leave IRAQ!!! THE UNITED STATES will become a third world Nation if we lose Iraq...capice?
Posted by underdogus

................

And what would be a third world nation? A debtor corperate led nation who''s bankrupt morality has led them to approve torture, domestic spying and end to basic rights such as habeas corpus? A country who ignores basic needs of it''s people such as health care? Thank god we''re not like those nations! Long live emperor Bush.

[bigsk8fan]

george w bush thinks it is a great idea to keep more soldiers in iraq. what a surprise! george is the best attackerer ever!

[mudrose-2009]

And what would be a third world nation? A debtor corperate led nation who''''s bankrupt morality has led them to approve torture, domestic spying and end to basic rights such as habeas corpus? A country who ignores basic needs of it''''s people such as health care? Thank god we''''re not like those nations! Long live emperor Bush.
Posted by dinkydog1

Oh, you''re funny. Righteous *** and very funny. Like I''ve been saying and will continue to say - pimping poverty and victimization is very lucrative. You''re proponents are quite the elitists. Pewlosi has her vineyards. She''s against closing the border because she can''t employ the illegals to pick her sour grapes. Reid has 3 sons that are all Lobbyists. Al Bore goes globe trotting on his jet and pays his carbon credits to a business he owns. So in essence every time he uses up carbon, he pays it back to himself. Bill and Hillary, the Clintoids contributed $10 million to their Private Foundation - er, their charity, John Edwards made a killing on hedge funds. RamaLamaObama made a million pimping his racist book and thanks to his buddy Renko lives in a $1million dollar house. The new elitists. Always caring about the American people, always crapping on America and how it stomps on the poor. Always asking you to look over to the other side while they steal the American people blind. And there you are lapping it up like mother''s milk. Hahahaha.

[bigsk8fan]

And what would be a third world nation? A debtor corperate led nation who''''''''s bankrupt morality has led them to approve torture, domestic spying and end to basic rights such as habeas corpus? A country who ignores basic needs of it''''''''s people such as health care? Thank god we''''''''re not like those nations! Long live emperor Bush.
Posted by dinkydog1

blah, blah, blah, . . .
Posted by mudrose

you can lead a neocon to knowledge, but you can''t make them think!

[prinzowhales]

Here is an article and picture on Cheney''s fondness for hunting human beings. Reflected in his sunglasses in a picture at a government website is a young naked female. Stories have surfaced about his before...and this psychopath is not above partaking in such a sport.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/153137-The-Sport-Of-Psychopaths-Shocking-Evidence-Does-Cheney-Hunt-Human-Beings-

If the link can''t be pasted...just go to www.sott.net and you should find it.

[mudrose-2009]

you can lead a neocon to knowledge, but you can''''t make them think!
Posted by bigsk8fan

First and foremost I''m not a neocon. Secondly you don''t think therefore you can''t lead.

[cfin5]

Since we obviously need to listen to a military general''''s recommendations concerning the rules of warfare to succeed, we should also listen to our ideological generals recommendations for their rules of living free,.......our Founding Fathers!

Posted by cfin5 at 08:02 AM : Apr 10, 2008------Folks, the latter trumps the former in this. If we would have listened to our Founding Fathers advise concerning our national sovereignty, against entangling foreign alliances (armed neutrality), ideological slander against our rights (9th. Amendment), we would not be in Iraq or on any other nations soil in the first place would we?......Our Constitution is the FAIREST IN THE WORLD. When we or any country listens to these principals, they always prosper. When we are any country listens to socialist ideological generals like Lenin, Marx, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler,....they always fail. You can''t mix other ideological failures with our Constitution and expect us to succeed. That is like mixing oil and water, like iron and clay. They are incompatible........A Founding Father student is still in the race folks,.....RON PAUL.

[usbrit-2009]

Mudrose - I see the thought of you and your ilk''s irrelevance coming in 9 months is making oyu even more bitter than ever. Shame after your very well written thoughts on MLK. I think that we''re in such deep doodoo in Iraq that we can''t pull out tomorrow for the sake of the Iraqi people. Our beloved little cretin-in-chief''s ideas have so f''ed everything in the country that one of two things would happen if we leave. 1) open civil war or 2) an Iranian invasion, either one would be bad for the US. I thinke the little stinker has done so much harm over there that stay the course is now the only course.

[prinzowhales]

Cheney is rumoured to be unusually well endowed and in another picture is either a ferret in his pants or a partially erect Cheney implement. I rather suspect that he is impotent and has an implant.

[mudrose-2009]

The world is facing death by starvation and the US turns corn into fuel for an SUV. "Let them eat E85," said Laura. "Let them eat E85."

Madame Lafarge knits.

Posted by Nancy_Naive

The Democratic Congress will turn corn to ethonol whish is a bigger pollutant than oil. Corn will be a thing unattainable to the pimpers of poverty and victimization.

[prinzowhales]

While "Mr. Prostitute" occupies the White House and is serviced by Jeff Gannon...the VP is off hunting humans with his mad dog side-kick, Scalia.

www.sott.net

[mudrose-2009]

Mudrose - I see the thought of you and your ilk''''s irrelevance coming in 9 months is making oyu even more bitter than ever. Shame after your very well written thoughts on MLK. I think that we''''re in such deep doodoo in Iraq that we can''''t pull out tomorrow for the sake of the Iraqi people. Our beloved little cretin-in-chief''''s ideas have so f''''ed everything in the country that one of two things would happen if we leave. 1) open civil war or 2) an Iranian invasion, either one would be bad for the US. I thinke the little stinker has done so much harm over there that stay the course is now the only course.
Posted by USBrit

Surprise, surprise. We coulda handle Iraq a little better initially. We are doing fine there. It took American 8 years after the English to get a U.S. Constitution and we were hounded by England. These people lived under a Despot who cemented them in walls in the middle of the night. We are on course and Patreus don''t expect to send more troops in any longer. Iran is now center stage and the World better get on it.

[mudrose-2009]

We are in deep DoDo here. We have a left leaning party that is back by a man who thinks America is a Nazi Regime. He is funding a radical left-wing candidate - Obama - who is an undecidely racist pretty boy with great rhetorical skills and an old world socialist hag that is milder than what he is going to do to America. You have no idea how much trouble the American people are in now. Liberty, as Jefferson said, requires constant vigilance. The American people are blindsided by pretty speeches.

[usbrit-2009]

POW - first quoting Lyndon LaRouche''s rag last week and now this - I thought you were better than that. I''ll believe a lot of Cheney but I think you''re on the wrong track with this cr@p.

[underdogus]

You have no idea how much trouble the American people are in now.Posted by mudrose ..I DO!! = (

[usbrit-2009]

Liberty, as Jefferson said, requires constant vigilance.

Posted by mudrose

I guess the whole country''s had it''s eyes closed for the last 8 years then. Remember Jefferson and all the founding fathers were liberals - the conservatives of the time, the Loyalists, wanted to stay British. History might be a little different if they''d had their way!!

[bgwinnett]

While "Mr. Prostitute" occupies the White House and is serviced by Jeff Gannon...the VP is off hunting humans with his mad dog side-kick, Scalia.

www.sott.net

Posted by Prinzowhales at 08:54 AM : Apr 10, 2008

I hope he''s got plenty ammo and Neocons on the hunt to "shoot".

[dinkydog1]

blah, blah, blah, . . .
Posted by mudrose

..................

Who can argue with such logic?

[hungry1968]

This is breaking news?

Bush is to embrace the failed plan that him and his stooge administration came up with, and told Petraeus to "make it work"?

Shocking!!

[mudrose-2009]

Liberty, as Jefferson said, requires constant vigilance.

Posted by mudrose

I guess the whole country''''s had it''''s eyes closed for the last 8 years then. Remember Jefferson and all the founding fathers were liberals - the conservatives of the time, the Loyalists, wanted to stay British. History might be a little different if they''''d had their way!!
Posted by USBrit

You don''t have liberals in Congress. You have Progressives and Socialists. These people are revisionists - and will continually alter the Constitution until it is no longer recognizable. They are moral relativists. Do not under any circumstances equate them with our Founders who where religious and honorable men.

[hungry1968]

The Democratic Congress will turn corn to ethonol whish is a bigger pollutant than oil. Corn will be a thing unattainable to the pimpers of poverty and victimization.

Posted by mudrose at 08:51 AM : Apr 10, 2008




Never mind the scientists that came up with that conclusion were FUNDED by the big oil companies, right?

Just spew it as truth, without knowing the facts.

Friggin'' idiot. Your ignorance is astounding. You should sue your local school system that graduated you, without teaching you the ability to think.

[baghdadshere]

This is breaking news?

Bush is to embrace the failed plan that him and his stooge administration came up with, and told Petraeus to "make it work"?

Shocking!!

Posted by hungry1968 at 09:04 AM : Apr 10, 2008

hungry,,,,Forget about kid. We"re going to stay in Iraq,Japan,Europe,Korea,etc for a 100 years.