Iraq is making "fragile but reversible" progress on security, but it's too early to set dates to pull out all U.S. troops, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq told Congress on Tuesday.
Gen. David Petraeus said the number of troops should return to "pre-surge" levels this summer, but the military should gauge conditions before making further decisions.
After the 20,000 troops sent during last year's surge are withdrawn, by July, the military should wait 45 days before deciding on more reductions, Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable," he said. "However, it does provide the flexibility those of us on the ground need to preserve the still fragile security gains our troopers have fought so hard and sacrificed so much to achieve."
There has been "significant but uneven progress," Petraeus said, adding that recent violence shows the progress is "fragile but reversible."
"The situation in certain areas is still unsatisfactory and innumerable challenges remain," he said.
So tell me, if Democrats keep saying "listen to the Generals" and the Generals are saying we should do "X", then why are they constantly trying to undermine what they are trying to accomplish in Iraq?
One of the readers "Danny" says it best:
I love how 58% of Americans think they know better than the top commander in Iraq how things are going.
We sure are a country of know-it-all's arent we?
And it's completely true. Commanders in Iraq see and hear things that the American public doesn't. Even if you're the most ardent anti-war protester, you have to admit that we're not getting the full picture from the media. Check out what Michael Totten has to say. Ask a veteran who's been there, especially recently.
General Petraeus is saying we should draw down troops and wait to see if that holds. Isn't that what everyone wants? Troops get to come home and we make sure that Iraqi's can take care of themselves. Yet, you'll see people who don't even want that. They want everyone home now.
War is an ugly thing and nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. But if you have people there telling you what should happen, I fail to see why you shouldn't listen to them.
Travis
No comments:
Post a Comment