U.S. Military Mulls Iraq Troop Pullbacks

Chiefs To Discuss Possible Cuts For This Fall; Troops Likely To Be Redeployed to Afghanistan

(CBS/ AP)  Iraq appears on track to establishing sustainable security - a key step toward withdrawing U.S. troops - the top U.S. military officer said Monday after visiting the newly quiet Sadr City section of the capital.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that important elements of a solution to the Iraqi war - including reduced levels of sectarian violence, political reconciliation and stronger Iraqi forces - are coming into view more than five years after the U.S. invasion.

He repeatedly stressed, however, that the improvements are fragile and could still be reversed.

Mullen's assessment was notably upbeat and comes as the last of five Army brigades sent to Iraq in 2007 as reinforcements amid escalating sectarian conflict and rising death tolls is heading home.

"From all I see, the security conditions are holding, the level of violence is down; we're down to a level that we haven't seen in over four years," Mullen said on his fourth visit to Iraq since becoming Joint Chiefs chairman last October. "That, then, ties into decisions to be made later this year about the level of forces. So I hope we can continue the drawdown" after a late-summer pause, he added.

Mullen's remarks came at the same time that the Iraqi governement was discussing a possible timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Iraq's prime minister said Monday his country is now proposing an interim deal with the United States on the presence of American troops instead of a more formal agreement and wants to include a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.

There are now about 145,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, down from a peak last year of nearly 170,000.

Pressed to say how much longer it might take to reach a conclusion about the permanence of the security gains, Mullen declined to be pinned down.

"I really need to spend more time with the commanders here to get their current assessment of where we are," he said. "I don't think there's going to be a clear milepost that says, `Hey, we're there."'

Mullen said he planned to meet later this week with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as well as Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat. Petraeus told Congress in May that he might be able to recommend further troop reductions this fall, after he makes a fresh assessment in late summer.

With the last of the five surge brigades on its way out of the country, Petraeus has told the Pentagon he expects to be able to withdraw one and possibly two more brigades from Iraq by the end of the year, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. He has not made any commitments to those additional withdrawals, insisting that he wait for the period of assessment after the last brigade is out, but the handwriting is on the wall.

Any additional brigades that are withdrawn from Iraq will almost certainly be redirected to Afghanistan, Martin adds.

Mullen flew by helicopter to Sadr City after arriving in the capital on an overnight flight from Washington. He visited U.S. troops at a coalition observation post and strolled through a market in Sadr City.

"We saw extraordinary progress there," he said. "A few months ago no one could go into Sadr City. I was able to walk openly down a street that until recently was extremely unsafe, and I'm encouraged by that."

He also described Sadr City as an area that until very recently was "a big question mark" for U.S. aims.

"That question has been in part answered," he said, implying the outlook for a positive outcome. "Continued progress will produce a more complete answer down the road."

More broadly, Mullen said progress in Iraq has been remarkable over the past six to 12 months.

"Should that continue for another six to nine to 12 months, certainly we would be in a position to make some decisions based on that. Whether, at that point in time, it would be sustainable or irreversible is something that I think we have to try to figure out."

He cautioned, without being specific, that "there are events which could change that" brighter outlook.

Mullen arrived with a small group of National Football League players, executives and cheerleaders as part of a United Services Organization contingent to entertain the troops. Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, and Osi Umenyiora, a star defensive lineman for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, shook hands with hundreds of troops, signed autographs and toss around a few footballs in 110 degree heat.

[ubrew12]

"A few months ago no one could go into Sadr City. I was able to walk openly down a street that until recently was extremely unsafe"

Its amazing what enough Predator drones can do for ''law and order'' in a neighborhood.

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

[floydzepp2]

Yeah, right. What RINOpublican wrote this story. The truth is, Al-Maliki just told Shrub boy that he want the US troops out of Iraq. What a hoot.

[feelfree4u]

%u201CWhy we stand for immediate withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq%u201D

%u201CTHE U.S. occupation of Iraq has not liberated the Iraqi people, but has made life worse for most Iraqis.%u201D

%u201CTens of thousands of U.S. service people have been killed or maimed, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have lost their lives as a result of the U.S. invasion in 2003, the ongoing occupation, and the violence unleashed by them.%u201D

%u201CIraq''s infrastructure has been destroyed, and U.S. plans for reconstruction abandoned. There is less electricity, less clean drinking water, and more unemployment today than before the U.S. invasion.%u201D

%u201CAll of the justifications initially provided by the U.S. for waging war on Iraq have been exposed as lies; the real reasons for the invasion %u2014 to control Iraq''s oil reserves and to increase U.S. strategic influence in the region %u2014 now stand revealed.%u201D

%u201CThe Bush administration has insisted again and again that stability, democracy, and prosperity are around the next bend in the road%u2026But the U.S. has deliberately stoked sectarian divisions in its ongoing attempt to install a U.S.-friendly regime, thus driving Iraq towards civil war.%u201D
%u201CWe call on the U.S. to get out of Iraq %u2014 not in six months, not in a year, but now.%u201D

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow

[gkc99]

"Mullen arrived with a small group of National Football League players, executives and cheerleaders as part of a United Services Organization contingent to entertain the troops. Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, and Osi Umenyiora, a star defensive lineman for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, shook hands with hundreds of troops, signed autographs and toss around a few footballs in 110 degree heat. "


The brass does get to travel in style! No long delays or multiple tours of duty in combat zones for the guys with the golden chicken guts.

[pvperson]

Move them to Afganistan for a couple of years, then back to Iraq. Gosh, the republicans sure love those military guys, don''t they. NOT.

[notblue]

floydzep, if you bothered to actually research the facts before you spew your incorrect garbage then maybe your statements wouldn''t be so idiotic. THe major sticking point to the agreement is in regards to US troops haveing immunity from prosecution if they commit crimes off duty. Furthermore it was stated that the Iraqi forcs are nearly ready to take control and reductions can now occur WHICH WAS THE PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING! However he also stated requested troop reductions wouldn''t start for at least a year. People like you make it up as you go, the same tired crapp day in and day out, all false propoghanda.

[wallyj16]

More corporate media bull. Waste of time reading this article... I should have known better.

[emelder]

Who''s gonna trust the nonsense in this article? Iraq was a mess, is a mess, and will continue to be a mess. We''ve brought them Western democracy ... why don''t ask them to hold a referendum as to whether or not they want American soldiers there??? Bush is afraid to ask ... because he knows the answer!

[mbcsmith]

The surge is working! Hurry up and surrender LIBS before it''s over.

[floydzepp2]

Sorry notblue, but I always know what I''m talking about. Try again sweet pea.


BAGHDAD - Iraq''s prime minister said Monday his country wants some type of timetable for a withdrawal of American troops included in the deal the two countries are negotiating.

It was the first time that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has explicitly and publicly called for a withdrawal timetable %u2014 an idea opposed by President Bush.

He offered no details. But his national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, told The Associated Press that the government is proposing a timetable conditioned on the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security.

[floydzepp2]

The surge is working! Hurry up and surrender LIBS before it''''s over.

Posted by mbcsmith at 03:42 PM : Jul 07, 2008
----------

Nice try. You Shrubbies bungled Afghanistan and Iraq. What a hoot.

[emelder]

I support Obama for President because he will find a way through this Iraq mess into which Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield and Wolfawitz have mired America. Honorable soldiers, fighting honorably and bravely, all for a lie. This will be Bush''s legacy.

[floydzepp2]

The truth of the matter is, Al-Maliki is give Shrub and all the Shrubbies the boot. What a hoot!

---------

"The goal is to end the presence (of foreign troops)," al-Maliki said.

Some type of agreement is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year''s end. But many Iraqi lawmakers had criticized the government''s attempt to negotiate a formal status of forces agreement, worried that U.S. demands would threaten the country''s sovereignty.

U.S. officials have said little publicly about the negotiations. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not comment directly on the specifics when asked about it on a trip to Baghdad.

[denn034]

The troop surge made this possible but, I''m uncertain if a pullback this fall isn''t premature. Uncertain is my reaction.

[notblue]

They all lied if that''s what you people want to believe, Clinton stated the same thing as Bush when he was president, Kerry lied, they all lied, they ALL SAID THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT SADAM!!!! Why is it you people only rember what BUSH SAID?????????? WHY DON"T YOU REMEMBER WHAT EVERYONE SAID????? The claims that led us into war were stated BEFORE BUSH WAS ELECTED! as well as after by politicans ON BOTH SIDES!!!!!

[netadmin1-2009]

I love it - you people complain just to complain. You complain about being in Iraq - then you complain about the news of a possible reduction of forces in Iraq. When the troops come home you''ll complain about them being home.

[donbl1]

Troop reductions to total 40,000 by January to be announced in October.

This election is going to about the price of oil

Without Iraqi oil coming to the US, our gasoline would be about $5/gallon.

Now we know why Bush and Cheney moved us into Iraq.......

[realpatriot1]

Bajajohn,

Actually, withdrawing troops and deploying them to Afghanistan is a total adherence to what Obama has been proposing since he started running last year.

This just shows who has the judgement to lead...and it isn''t 100 years McCain.

[floydzepp2]

They all lied if that''''s what you people want to believe, Clinton stated the same thing as Bush when he was president, Kerry lied, they all lied, they ALL SAID THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT SADAM!!!! Why is it you people only rember what BUSH SAID?????????? WHY DON"T YOU REMEMBER WHAT EVERYONE SAID????? The claims that led us into war were stated BEFORE BUSH WAS ELECTED! as well as after by politicans ON BOTH SIDES!!!!!

Posted by notblue at 03:55 PM : Jul 07, 2008
---------

Yawn. You''re just mad because you shrubbies look stupid now.

[donbl1]

Election polls are getting closer and closer.

They shouldn''t eve be within 10 points.

Why is Obama sinking?

[donbl1]

Baja, California brings some of that on themselves.

Red states tend to have cheaper gasoline. Not sure why.

[donbl1]

Baja, I do not have a problem with flip flops IF they are done for the good of the country.

If they are nuanced to gain political advantage, then the candidate should be slammed and he should lose.

[DCropp]

Bush is realizing he failed American. He needs to commit 50,000 soldiers to Afghanistan.

Every day that passes, Al Qaeda becomes stronger.

Thanks to a disastrous decision to start war in Iraq before Afghanistan was done, Al Qaeda is now stronger than it has ever been.

Now, will Senator McCain finally admit that he also committed a major mistake in supporting Bush''s Iraq War. The real threat is Afghanistan.

[bikerb54]

Guess what? Pulling troops from Iraq to Afghanistan (where they should have been in the first place) is like "going around your azz to get to your elbow type" of thinking. Oh yeah, I forgot. Bush is still in "charge".

[donbl1]

Baja, too many people living in California for what the environment can support.

If they want to continue to live there, then they must pay more to safeguard the environment. Should not complain.

As a kid, I lived in Northern Cal. It was nice there/then.

[donbl1]

danin, you sound like you are "hoping" AQ is stronger,,,,, at least until after Obama is elected.

[leftyintexas]

Sounds like they are following Obamas advice. It''s about time.

[donbl1]

lefty, you must be lonely in Texas........ live in Austin? 6th street?

[donbl1]

Maliki is using the media to help him negotiate with the US for every advantage.

The US will be in Iraq for many years. BUT, hopefully, not in harms way.

[donbl1]

Baja, I have partied there, too. The naked guy is still there............

BTW, Boomer Sooner.

[ramos937]

Immediately after 9/11, we invaded Afghanistan to go after the Taliban and Bin Linden. We had the support of every nation on the planet including Cuba and Venuezala. Bush had approval ratings of 90%. Bin Linden was almost within yards of being captured at least twice that we know of.

Than the administration diverted focus to Iraq under trumped up assumptions. No one could tell the neocoms in charge anything. All they wanted to do is to get rid of Saddam for their own purposes and we put Afghanistan on the back burner.

Today, Bin Linden and AQ are stronger than ever; the taliban is stronger than ever; we are almost bankrupt; the country is divided with over 80% of us wanting out of Iraq; Bush''s approval rate is 28% and most of the Arab world hates us. And we reelected Bush in 2004.
Also, we have to go back to Afghanistan to finish up what we almost had accomplished in 2001.

Nice going......

[donbl1]

see ya later.

gotta work.

[hungry1968]

They all lied if that''''''''''''''''s what you people want to believe, Clinton stated the same thing as Bush when he was president, Kerry lied, they all lied, they ALL SAID THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT SADAM!!!! Why is it you people only rember what BUSH SAID?????????? WHY DON"T YOU REMEMBER WHAT EVERYONE SAID????? The claims that led us into war were stated BEFORE BUSH WAS ELECTED! as well as after by politicans ON BOTH SIDES!!!!!

Posted by notblue at 03:55 PM : Jul 07, 2008





Who invaded Iraq? Clinton, Kerry, or Bush?

Who cut and ran from the war on terror, to attack Iraq, rather than go after those that attacked us? Clinton, Kerry, or Bush?

[acjupiter]

Thank God Bush and Chaney have finally seen the light!!! The surge was needed to get our troops out of Iraq a failed mission from day one and reployed where they have should have been since 2003 Afganistan. Declare victory and get them all out by end of year. Support our brave troops.

[whitemale08]

As if a sock puppet like Maliki has anything to say about troop withdrawls.

No matter how many times Bush repeats the full name of Noriam Al Maliki to catipult the propaganda, nobody in Iraq and indeed nobody in the world except for ditto head republicans even recognize this clown as Iraq''s Prime Minister.

At this moment Iraq has no legitamite government and Obama will fix that once he pulls the troops out and let Iraq Balkanize and break up into 3 parts, and let the Iraqis create their own legitamite tri-party coalition government.

It has to happen this way so Bush and junkyard dog Rush Limbaugh will be unable to save face and take any credit whatsoever for their failures.

[mbcsmith]

The surge is working! Hurry up and surrender LIBS before it''s over.

[feelfree4u]

(2 of 2)

We invaded Afghanistan to install Unocal oil puppet Hamid Karzai as President, to revive opium production, and to establish bases for use as launch points for the invasion of Iraq and elsewhere. We have no legitimate business in Afghanistan, and we have inflicted more than enough death and misery upon the poor people of that country.

There is nothing for the American people to "win" in either Iraq or Afghanistan, but if you think that the Bush regime is a simply a bunch of incompetent *******, then you have not seen their stock portfolios.

Even ignoring the fact that "defeating terror" is the objective of a moron, there is no intention of EVER "winning" this war. There is no profit in "winning". The Bush regime and their lackeys have definitely "won" in Afghanistan though, to one degree or another.

Mission Accomplished.

Lastly, GWB''s aprroval rating currently stands at 23% (L.A. Times/Bloomberg 6/19-23/08), and George was NEVER legitimately elected to the office that he currently disgraces- not in 2000, and not in 2004.

[feelfree4u]

(1 of 2)


RE: "Today, Bin Linden and AQ are stronger than ever; the taliban is stronger than ever; we are almost bankrupt; the country is divided with over 80% of us wanting out of Iraq; Bush''s approval rate is 28% and most of the Arab world hates us. And we reelected Bush in 2004."

"Also, we have to go back to Afghanistan to finish up what we almost had accomplished in 2001."

"Nice going......"

Posted by ramos937


I have to disagree with you "ramos937".

Osama has most likely been dead for a while now, and most, if not all, of the "al-Qaeda" antics are written and produced at U.S. tax funded propaganda factories like the SITE Group.

Also, I have yet to see a single piece of compelling evidence tying Osama bin Laden to the attacks of 9/11/01. Not one. The plan to invade Afghanistan was in the works well ahead of the events on 9/11/01, with a final attack plan on George''s desk, just prior to the 9/11/01 attacks.

(cont.)

[stevex47]

"U.S. Military Mulls Iraq Troop Pullbacks"

Too freaking funny. Gee, this isn''t election motivated is it? Paranoid about the vote aren''t you.

How a person could vote for a wide stanced nutjob I cant figure out.

[hotpaulie]

I sense a trend...focus on Afghanistan, cut back then focus on Iraq...cut back on Iraq then focus on Afghanistan...guess whats next. A yo-yo effect from hell for our military.
O yeah...support our troops.

[wakeup60]

With the news commentaries yesterday /the "RIGHTS" ARE ALL DEAD WRONG!!! THEY SAID "WE HAVE WON THE WAR"...THE "SURGE" WORKED AND WE HAVE VICTORY!! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT! THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY "WINNING" OF ANYTHING OVER THERE...AT ALL!!!!!!!! THE "SURGE"...HAS WORKED... TO KILL MORE AND MORE OF OUR SOLDIERS! NOW WE''RE SENDING TROOPS INTO AFGHANISTAN/HAVE ALREADY STARTED AND RE-DEPLOYING THESE PRECIOUS KIDS AFTER THEY HAVE RE-DEPLOYED 4-5-6 TIMES TO IRAQ/FOR GOD''S SAKE !!!!!!! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU YOU GETTING AWAY WITH AGAIN ...BUSH!!! AND ALL OF YOUR DEVOTED FOLLOWERS!!! HOW ABOUT ASKING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT WE FEEL ABOUT THIS CRAPOLA...SPILLING THE BLOOD OF OUR SOLDIERS FOR WHAT...AGAIN!FOR WHAT?FOR WHAT?FOR WHAT? AND THE "PLAN" THIS TIME AROUND??? HAVE ONE??? THIS GOVERNMENT IS WASTING OUR CHILDREN''S LIVES !!!

[dimmu19]

Bunch of right / wrong wing idiots posting on here...

[ajaxtheleast]

The surge did NOT do it! It helped.

It was the change in strategy from
base-located troops to total occupation
of Iraq.

The proof of this will be when, say,
50-thousand troops ARE pulled from
Iraq and violence doesn''t increase
that much.

Bush at the time before the surge
couldn''t say that I''m going to totally
occupy Iraq. Which is what he did.
Which isn''t that hard when you head an
army that can kill anything that moves
on land, sea and air.

It was then that the "surge" was
invented.

So we''d concentrate on "The surge"
instead of our movement into the
cities knocking down doors and
killing ten civilians to get
one "terrorist.


Only when 50-thousand troops ARE
withdrawn can it be proved that
this was or was not just one more
sneaky move by the jerk.

You know where my money is.

[clestes-2009]

Gee things are going so well in Iraq that we are sending an additional 30,000 troops this fall and any troops whose time is up in Iraq are going to Afghanistan.

I predicted this 9 months ago when the reps were braying about "the surge is working". Working so well we are sending in more troops??

90% of the land given up by the Taliban has been retaken. US forces in Afghanistan are in serious trouble. This is where the real war on terror is being fought. Not in Iraq. Iraq was only a distraction that descended to a disaster. Saddam never had WMD, played no part in 9-11 and kept Iran at bay. Since being invaded, for their oil, Al-queda has regained strength and Iran is now a middle east player.

And Israel wants to make matters worse by attacking their non-existant nuclear weapon program. I really don''t think Israel will attack. There are a few political figures that have a death wish, but they are not in the majority and don''t have the power to attack. I''ll make another prediction. If they do oil will immediately zoom to $200 a barrel and gas will go to over $5.00 a gallon.

If Iran retaliates by closing the Straits of Hormez, oil will go to $300 a barrel and over $7.00 a gallon. But all this talk of war is bluster and pysch warfare.

Sigh.....

[riptide213]

Impact on STOP LOSS, none!

During a so called town hall meeting, Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff make clear to soldiers at Fort Stewart, Ga., things would get worse before they would get better. Number of troops held under STOP LOSS policies currently over 12,000. When respectfully confronted on how long Army STOP LOSS policies would continue the answer was. We see a slight growth in the next couple of years based on predictions right now; it could drag on beyond three years.

STOP LOSS, In Lieu of Taskings (ILO), 8 year minimum service obligations for advertised 2,3,4,6, enlistment options, Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) call ups, Army recruiting 17-41 years olds, and felony waivers all contribute to hazy smoke screen sham, a US government shanghai subterfuge to maintain war fighting troop numbers.

Why do citizens allow government manipulation to legally abuse loopholes to press gang those already serving in a supposed All Volunteer Force to serve at perpetual pleasure of Commander in Chief?

Why does American public allow President as Commander in Chief backed by Congress to shamefully get away with a read the fine print, covert war conscription, and unofficial backdoor draft by stealth?

Sign up to serve your country, do your fair share, and get indentured to serve in overseas wars indefinitely until wounded or death which ever comes first.

STOP LOSS and IRR are code words for backdoor draft.

[whiskyrocker]

Head east young man and prosper

[notblue]

Clestes, less than one percent of provinces originally controlled by the Taliban are now under their control so as usual your completely wrong again.

[pensacola88]

Troop pullback announcements are just meadia feeders for wishful readers.

It is very cruel to announce something is going to be considered without a diplomatic entitity publically declaring stability.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Get new troops trained for the Afghan theatre."

Posted by BajaJohn1


Where do you reckon those will come from?

[feelfree4u]

Re: "STOP LOSS and IRR are code words for backdoor draft."

Posted by Riptide213


Good point.

I would actually like to see an actual draft reinstated. If it were, then I predict that our shameful and self-defeating "wars" would be over in a month or two, due to lack of interest.