http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11military.html?ex=1270872000&en=39db7bf015026efc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
ASHINGTON, April 10 - Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the
American-led military campaign in Iraq is making enough progress in
fighting insurgents and training Iraqi security forces to allow the
Pentagon to plan for significant troop reductions by early next year,
senior commanders and Pentagon officials say.
Senior American officers are wary of declaring success too soon
against an insurgency they say still has perhaps 12,000 to 20,000
hard-core fighters, plentiful financing and the ability to change
tactics quickly to carry out deadly attacks. But there is a consensus
emerging among these top officers and other senior defense officials
about several positive developing trends, although each carries a
cautionary note.
Attacks on allied forces have dropped to 30 to 40 a day, down from an
average daily peak of 140 in the prelude to the Jan. 30 elections but
still roughly at the levels of a year ago. Only about half the attacks
cause casualties or damage, but on average one or more Americans die
in Iraq every day, often from roadside bombs. Thirty-six American
troops died there in March, the lowest monthly death toll since 21
died in February 2004.
Attacks now are aimed more at killing Iraqi civilians and security
forces, and have been planned with sinister care and timing to take
place outside schools, clinics and police stations when large daytime
crowds have gathered.
Several top associates of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant
whose network has claimed responsibility for many of the most deadly
attacks, have been captured or killed in recent weeks. American
commanders say it now takes longer for insurgents to regroup and
conduct a series of attacks with new tactics, like the one on the
night of April 2 against the Abu Ghraib prison that wounded 44
Americans and 13 Iraqi prisoners.
While senior commanders say the insurgency is still mostly driven by
Iraqis, small numbers of foreign fighters who carry out most of the
suicide bombings are still sneaking into the country, mainly from
Syria.
The overall number of insurgents has remained virtually unchanged
since last fall, even though hundreds, maybe thousands, have been
killed or captured, suggesting that the insurgency can still attract
the unemployed, disaffected and even enough true believers to keep the
pool from drying up. American commanders also fear that the fledgling
Iraqi government and security services are riddled with informants
despite thorough vetting of applicants, officials say.
The American military's priority has shifted from waging offensive
operations to training Iraqi troops and police officers. Iraqi forces
now oversee sections of Baghdad and Mosul, with American forces on
call nearby to help in a crisis. More than 2,000 American military
advisers are working directly with Iraqi forces.
More Iraqi civilians are defying the insurgents' intimidation to give
Iraqi forces tips on the locations of hidden roadside bombs, weapons
caches and rebel safe houses. The Pentagon says that more than 152,000
Iraqis have been trained and equipped for the military or the police,
but the quality and experience of those forces varies widely. Also,
the Government Accountability Office said in March that those figures
were inflated, including perhaps tens of thousands of police officers
who are absent from duty.
Interviews with more than a dozen senior American and Iraqi officers,
top Pentagon officials and lawmakers who have visited Iraq yield an
assessment that the combination of routing insurgents from their
sanctuary in Falluja last November and the Iraqi elections on Jan. 30
has given the military operation sustained momentum, and put the Bush
administration's goal of turning Iraq over to a permanent, elected
Iraqi government within striking distance.
"We're on track," Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview. But the insurgency "kills
virtually every day," he warned. "It's still a very potent threat."
(Page 2 of 3)
This view of steady if uneven progress is shared by virtually all
senior American commanders and Pentagon officials interviewed, who
base their judgments on some 50 to 70 specific measurements from
casualty figures to assassination attempts against Iraqi government
officials as well as subjective analyses by American commanders and
diplomats. They recall how plans a year ago to reduce American forces
were dashed by resurgent rebel attacks in much of the Sunni-dominated
areas north and west of Baghdad, and in Shiite hot spots like Najaf.
And they express concern that a huge, last-ditch suicide attack
against a prominent target, like the new Iraqi National Assembly,
could deal the operation a severe blow. "I worry about being
excessively optimistic," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told
reporters on March 29.
Precisely when and how many American forces withdraw from Iraq hinges
on several factors, including the security situation, the size and
competence of newly trained Iraqi forces, and the wishes of the new
Iraqi government. Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top commander in Iraq,
told CNN two weeks ago that if all went well, "we should be able to
take some fairly substantial reductions in the size of our forces" by
this time next year.
General Casey has declined to describe the size of any possible troop
reductions, but other senior military officials said American force
levels in Iraq could drop to around 105,000, or about 13 brigades, by
early next year, from the 142,000 now, just over 17 brigades.
Even some of the administration's toughest critics now express
cautious optimism about an Iraq operation that costs more than $4
billion a month, as the nascent political process and slowly improving
economy appear to drain away tacit support for the insurgency from the
tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians the military calls
"fence-sitters."
"We've gained some real military traction over the past several
months, but we'd be naïve to think that the insurgency is over," said
Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and former officer in the
82nd Airborne Division. "We're there militarily for the long haul."
American officials say the insurgency is still a mix of former Baath
Party loyalists, Iraqi military and security service officers, Sunni
Arab militants and terrorists like Mr. Zarqawi. Rather than focusing
on their numbers, commanders say they are more concerned with what the
insurgents can do. These groups are well armed and well financed, but
are suffering some recruiting problems that are increasingly forcing
them to form tactical partnerships to carry out their attacks,
officials said.
"They're slowly losing," said Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, a senior
aide to General Myers who commanded the Fourth Infantry Division in
Iraq last year.
Helping the situation is that, as the Iraqi security forces gain more
confidence and experience, Iraqi residents have put more trust in
them. "We are gaining more victories because people are now
cooperating more with us," Maj. Gen. Adnan Thabit, the head of 11,000
Iraqi police commandos and other security forces, said in an
interview.
Senior officers say the increased pressure on insurgents is driving
many of them out of safe houses in cities like Mosul, Samarra and
Baghdad, and into the desert. Senior officials say it is notable,
although not clearly understood, how the insurgency seems to be moving
in more of a set-piece fashion than it did in its early period.
The Abu Ghraib attacks, for example, were coordinated, small-unit
strikes by 40 to 60 insurgents, though they were largely ineffective,
officers say.
"At this point, we are all concerned they may be changing tactics,"
Brig. Gen. John DeFreitas III, the senior military intelligence
officer in Iraq, said in an interview. "It's still too early to tell."
Commanders are also concerned that the attacks are being aided by a
growing network of informants, some of whom appear to be in lower
levels of the new Iraqi civilian administration and security forces.
(Page 3 of 3)
"They have tentacles that reach all through the new government and the
new military," said Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan, the top American air
commander in the Persian Gulf region. The concern about infiltration
by former Hussein loyalists has slowed, to some degree, the reforming
of Iraqi security forces at all levels. "Picking senior leadership has
been slower initially than I think anyone liked because the vetting
process had to be so carefully done," General Myers said, adding that
the process now is "moving faster, and faster and faster."
Indeed, the biggest remaining challenges are recruiting new Iraqi
leaders at all levels of command, and training the new Iraqi police,
American officers say.
Officials say that in training Iraqi forces as well as filling the
ranks of the new Interior and Defense Ministries, they seek to strike
a balance between pressing them to assume more responsibilities
quickly, and not doing so before they are ready.
"We don't want a rush to failure," said Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham, the
Joint Staff's deputy director of operations, who recently ended a tour
as head of American forces in northern Iraq.
"There has been a steady increase, particularly since the elections,
in the capabilities and numbers of Iraqi units," Lt. Gen. David H.
Petraeus, the top American trainer in Iraq, said in an e-mail message.
"However, there is still a huge amount of work to be done to help them
achieve the capability of conducting independent counter-insurgency
operations."
How quickly those Iraqi forces take over security duties will dictate
the timetable of the American withdrawal. General Myers said senior
Iraqi leaders had discussed with him a possible long-term economic and
security partnership with the United States, after most troops go
home.
Even then, sizable numbers of Special Operations forces, intelligence
personnel and surveillance systems will probably remain in Iraq or
nearby countries to help quell the insurgency. Gen. John P. Jumper,
the Air Force chief of staff, said, "I think we're there for a long
time."
Robert F. Worth contributed reporting from Baghdad for this article.
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
11 Apr 2005 06:42:38 AM |
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wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before the
jobs finished.
All those troops died for what then? Haliburton and Corporate America.
You're a sick piece of work. But pretty standard for a Chickenhawk
NeoCon. Go wrap yourself in the flag again ... it'll help your conscience.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 09:11:47 AM |
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Marvin The Gay Clown wrote:
itwill@happen.com wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before the
jobs finished.
You must be really warped if you see the gradual withdrawl of troops
as running away.
From the get go President Bush told us that once Iraqi forces were
strong enough to deal with the Terrorists, we would withdraw our
forces.
All those troops died for what then? Haliburton and Corporate America.
Look at this Clown, one minute he's crying about US forces being in
Iraq, and the next he's crying because they will be leaving soon.
You're a very confused fag.
Tony
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 01:48:52 PM |
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wrote:
Marvin wrote:
wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before the
jobs finished.
From the get go President Bush told us that once Iraqi forces were
strong enough to deal with the Terrorists, we would withdraw our
forces.
Wrong.
All those troops died for what then? Haliburton and Corporate America.
Look at this Clown, one minute he's crying about US forces being in
Iraq, and the next he's crying because they will be leaving soon.
Wrong again Meathead.
Meathead
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android`" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 02:09:55 PM |
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Marvin wrote:
meathead@IamQueer.com wrote:
Marvin wrote:
meathead@IamQueer.com wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before
the jobs finished.
From the get go President Bush told us that once Iraqi forces were
strong enough to deal with the Terrorists, we would withdraw our
forces.
Hey Meathead, in case you didn't hear him from 'the get go', he went in
there to take out Saddam's WMD's.
And Rumsfeld announced today they had no exit strategy. How's that for
poppin' yer little balloon? LOL !!!
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aAzfzbHVpVa4&refer=top_world_news
Meathead
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
13 Apr 2005 10:05:11 AM |
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Marvin The Gay Clown wrote:
meathead@IamQueer.com wrote:
Marvin wrote:
meathead@IamQueer.com wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before
the jobs finished.
From the get go President Bush told us that once Iraqi forces were
strong enough to deal with the Terrorists, we would withdraw our
forces.
Hey Meathead, in case you didn't hear him from 'the get go', he went in
there to take out Saddam's WMD's.
And Rumsfeld announced today they had no exit strategy. How's that for
poppin' yer little balloon? LOL !!!
Seems you forgot to add the end of Rumsfeld's quote, here's what he
said:
"We don't have an exit strategy, we have a victory strategy".
Big difference from the spin you attempted to put on it, Clown.
Tony
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
13 Apr 2005 12:13:53 PM |
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wrote:
Marvin The Gay Clown wrote:
wrote:
Marvin wrote:
wrote:
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
Typical Neocon ... run away with your tail between your legs before
the jobs finished.
From the get go President Bush told us that once Iraqi forces were
strong enough to deal with the Terrorists, we would withdraw our
forces.
Hey Meathead, in case you didn't hear him from 'the get go', he went in
there to take out Saddam's WMD's.
And Rumsfeld announced today they had no exit strategy. How's that for
poppin' yer little balloon? LOL !!!
Seems you forgot to add the end of Rumsfeld's quote, here's what he
said:
"We don't have an exit strategy, we have a victory strategy".
Oooohhhhh ... a "victory" strategy ... LOL ... and you swallowed that
little phrase did ya, as meaningless as it is? I think the real point
was a lack of any "exit" strategy which fully contradicts your little
post here.
Big difference from the spin you attempted to put on it, Clown.
What spin Meathead?
Meathead
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
11 Apr 2005 05:09:18 PM |
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wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11military.html?ex=1270872000&en=39db7bf015026efc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
ASHINGTON, April 10 - Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the
American-led military campaign in Iraq is making enough progress in
fighting insurgents and training Iraqi security forces to allow the
Pentagon to plan for significant troop reductions by early next year,
senior commanders and Pentagon officials say.
Oh, that explains the ongoing car bombs and kidnappings, then.
9_9
Woods
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 09:13:22 AM |
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Woods wrote:
itwill@happen.com wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11military.html?ex=1270872000&en=39db7bf015026efc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
ASHINGTON, April 10 - Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the
American-led military campaign in Iraq is making enough progress in
fighting insurgents and training Iraqi security forces to allow the
Pentagon to plan for significant troop reductions by early next year,
senior commanders and Pentagon officials say.
Oh, that explains the ongoing car bombs and kidnappings, then.
Woods
Sandy, stop making an ***** out of yourself with your clueless posts, I
suggest you catch up on the news, which has been showing that attacks
against US forces are down over 50% since the Iraqi elections.
Tony
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 09:12:52 AM |
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<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1113315095.e1bd15a78dc27a07f1ae0b5288469b47@teranews...
Woods wrote:
itwill@happen.com wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11military.html?ex=1270872000&en=
39db7bf015026efc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
ASHINGTON, April 10 - Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the
American-led military campaign in Iraq is making enough progress in
fighting insurgents and training Iraqi security forces to allow the
Pentagon to plan for significant troop reductions by early next year,
senior commanders and Pentagon officials say.
Oh, that explains the ongoing car bombs and kidnappings, then.
Woods
Sandy, stop making an ***** out of yourself with your clueless posts, I
suggest you catch up on the news, which has been showing that attacks
against US forces are down over 50% since the Iraqi elections.
Did she specify attacks against US forces? No she didn't, dense-o-fatty.
Tony
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| User: "Absolute Zero" |
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| Title: Re: U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq |
12 Apr 2005 09:22:35 AM |
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wrote:
Woods wrote:
wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/politics/11military.html?ex=1270872000&en=39db7bf015026efc&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
U.S. Commanders See Possible Cut in Troops in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
New York Times
Published: April 11, 2005
ASHINGTON, April 10 - Two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the
American-led military campaign in Iraq is making enough progress in
fighting insurgents and training Iraqi security forces to allow the
Pentagon to plan for significant troop reductions by early next year,
senior commanders and Pentagon officials say.
Oh, that explains the ongoing car bombs and kidnappings, then.
Woods
Sandy, stop making an ***** out of yourself with your clueless posts, I
suggest you catch up on the news, which has been showing that attacks
against US forces are down over 50% since the Iraqi elections.
Spin. Down 50% from the heightened levels that the election produced...
back to the same level as one year ago.
-A
Tony
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