thedrifter
11-16-06, 01:25 AM
Democrats grill general
By Peter Spiegel
Los Angeles Times
Thursday, November 16, 2006
WASHINGTON — The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East said Wednesday that he has requested an increase in the number of U.S. military advisers in Iraq and sent another 2,000 Marines into the country's restive western region.
In back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill, Army Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, resisted calls by Democrats for troop withdrawals, saying they would lead to further sectarian violence. He defended plans for keeping troop levels at or slightly above the current 141,000 and said he remains optimistic that Iraq could become stable.
Abizaid was met with deep skepticism in the Senate, where even Republicans who have supported the war questioned his judgment on troop levels and his optimistic assessment of Iraqi security forces.
The hearing before the Armed Services Committee was the first on Iraq policy since last week's elections gave Democrats control of both houses of Congress beginning in January. And Democrats clearly indicated they expect changes.
''Hope is not a strategy,'' said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., a prospective 2008 presidential candidate.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the next chairman of the committee, said the administration must tell Iraq that U.S. troops will begin leaving by May.
''We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves," Levin said. "The only way for Iraqi leaders to squarely face that reality is for President Bush to tell them that the United States will begin a phased redeployment of our forces within four to six months.''
The hearing signaled a more active role by members of Congress in challenging the way the war is conducted. With Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's pending departure, top generals are likely to face greater criticism.
''I must say that I come to this hearing with a great deal of skepticism because ... there's been a great deal of obfuscation by the witnesses in front of this committee as to what the truth is,'' said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
Against a barrage of questions, Abizaid defended the status quo, warning against timetables and insisting current troop levels were adequate to quell violence and help prepare Iraqi forces.
''Our troop posture needs to stay where it is as we move to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces,'' Abizaid said.
The assessment was supported by Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who argued in testimony later Wednesday that the presence of U.S. forces is the bulwark against the breakdown of central authority in Iraq.
Maples told the Senate panel that sectarian violence was on the rise and was undermining public support for the government and the nascent Iraqi military.
''I think we still have the opportunity for success, but it will be a very difficult process to get us to where we want to be, both from a security standpoint and from a political standpoint,'' Maples said.
Abizaid said that although sectarian violence remains unacceptably high, it has declined since August, when he told the same Senate committee that Iraq was at risk of sliding into civil war.
Abizaid's steadfastness on troop levels drew ire from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, particularly Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a probable 2008 presidential contender who has become the most vocal advocate for an increase in U.S. troops in Iraq.
Seizing on Abizaid's acknowledgment that western Anbar province was not under coalition control and that troops that might have been used to secure the Sunni insurgent stronghold had been diverted to Baghdad, McCain said Abizaid was failing to prevent a return of insurgent control.
''Wouldn't it make sense to ... get both Baghdad and al-Anbar province under control before we have another battle of Fallujah and lose many more lives?'' McCain said. ''I don't understand that tactic, General.''
Abizaid conceded that sending 20,000 additional troops into Iraq might temporarily quell violence, but he said it also would upset American efforts to get the Iraqi government to take more responsibility for the country's internal security.
Abizaid added that even if it were in Iraq's best interest to increase the presence of U.S. forces, it would be difficult for the Pentagon to find additional combat troops without increasing the size of the active-duty military.
Nonetheless, Abizaid acknowledged that he planned to increase troop levels in the near term. Abizaid ordered the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has been on ships in the Persian Gulf for months as a backup reserve force, into Iraq.
A Defense Department official said the Marines have landed in Kuwait ahead of their deployment to Anbar, which has continued to see some of the fiercest fighting between American forces and insurgents.
In addition, Abizaid said he would request that the number of military advisers in Iraq be ''substantially increased,'' largely by adding to the size of the nearly 300 embedded teams, now consisting of 11 soldiers each.
He said he thought the U.S. had four to six months to get violence in Iraq under control before it reached a level at which it might be impossible to contain.
Army Gen. George Casey, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, said last month that he thought Iraqi forces would be able to take over security operations in 12 to 18 months. Abizaid said he was working to speed up that timetable.
The activity on Capitol Hill came amid signs that the Pentagon and White House are considering a shift in Iraq policy.
Ellie
By Peter Spiegel
Los Angeles Times
Thursday, November 16, 2006
WASHINGTON — The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East said Wednesday that he has requested an increase in the number of U.S. military advisers in Iraq and sent another 2,000 Marines into the country's restive western region.
In back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill, Army Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, resisted calls by Democrats for troop withdrawals, saying they would lead to further sectarian violence. He defended plans for keeping troop levels at or slightly above the current 141,000 and said he remains optimistic that Iraq could become stable.
Abizaid was met with deep skepticism in the Senate, where even Republicans who have supported the war questioned his judgment on troop levels and his optimistic assessment of Iraqi security forces.
The hearing before the Armed Services Committee was the first on Iraq policy since last week's elections gave Democrats control of both houses of Congress beginning in January. And Democrats clearly indicated they expect changes.
''Hope is not a strategy,'' said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., a prospective 2008 presidential candidate.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the next chairman of the committee, said the administration must tell Iraq that U.S. troops will begin leaving by May.
''We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves," Levin said. "The only way for Iraqi leaders to squarely face that reality is for President Bush to tell them that the United States will begin a phased redeployment of our forces within four to six months.''
The hearing signaled a more active role by members of Congress in challenging the way the war is conducted. With Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's pending departure, top generals are likely to face greater criticism.
''I must say that I come to this hearing with a great deal of skepticism because ... there's been a great deal of obfuscation by the witnesses in front of this committee as to what the truth is,'' said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
Against a barrage of questions, Abizaid defended the status quo, warning against timetables and insisting current troop levels were adequate to quell violence and help prepare Iraqi forces.
''Our troop posture needs to stay where it is as we move to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces,'' Abizaid said.
The assessment was supported by Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who argued in testimony later Wednesday that the presence of U.S. forces is the bulwark against the breakdown of central authority in Iraq.
Maples told the Senate panel that sectarian violence was on the rise and was undermining public support for the government and the nascent Iraqi military.
''I think we still have the opportunity for success, but it will be a very difficult process to get us to where we want to be, both from a security standpoint and from a political standpoint,'' Maples said.
Abizaid said that although sectarian violence remains unacceptably high, it has declined since August, when he told the same Senate committee that Iraq was at risk of sliding into civil war.
Abizaid's steadfastness on troop levels drew ire from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, particularly Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a probable 2008 presidential contender who has become the most vocal advocate for an increase in U.S. troops in Iraq.
Seizing on Abizaid's acknowledgment that western Anbar province was not under coalition control and that troops that might have been used to secure the Sunni insurgent stronghold had been diverted to Baghdad, McCain said Abizaid was failing to prevent a return of insurgent control.
''Wouldn't it make sense to ... get both Baghdad and al-Anbar province under control before we have another battle of Fallujah and lose many more lives?'' McCain said. ''I don't understand that tactic, General.''
Abizaid conceded that sending 20,000 additional troops into Iraq might temporarily quell violence, but he said it also would upset American efforts to get the Iraqi government to take more responsibility for the country's internal security.
Abizaid added that even if it were in Iraq's best interest to increase the presence of U.S. forces, it would be difficult for the Pentagon to find additional combat troops without increasing the size of the active-duty military.
Nonetheless, Abizaid acknowledged that he planned to increase troop levels in the near term. Abizaid ordered the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has been on ships in the Persian Gulf for months as a backup reserve force, into Iraq.
A Defense Department official said the Marines have landed in Kuwait ahead of their deployment to Anbar, which has continued to see some of the fiercest fighting between American forces and insurgents.
In addition, Abizaid said he would request that the number of military advisers in Iraq be ''substantially increased,'' largely by adding to the size of the nearly 300 embedded teams, now consisting of 11 soldiers each.
He said he thought the U.S. had four to six months to get violence in Iraq under control before it reached a level at which it might be impossible to contain.
Army Gen. George Casey, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, said last month that he thought Iraqi forces would be able to take over security operations in 12 to 18 months. Abizaid said he was working to speed up that timetable.
The activity on Capitol Hill came amid signs that the Pentagon and White House are considering a shift in Iraq policy.
Ellie