Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiPentagon Won't Make Surge Recommendation to Bush
WASHINGTON - In a sign that top commanders are divided over what course to pursue in Iraq, the Pentagon said Wednesday that it won't make a single, unified recommendation to President Bush during next month's strategy assessment, but instead will allow top commanders to make individual presentations.
"Consensus is not the goal of the process," Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters. "If there are differences, the president will hear them."
Military analysts called the move unusual for an institution that ordinarily does not air its differences in public, especially while its troops are deployed in combat.
"The professional military guys are going to the non-professional military guys and saying 'Resolve this,'" said Jeffrey White, a military analyst for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "That's what it sounds like."
White said it suggests that the military commanders want to be able to distance themselves from Iraq strategy by making it clear that whatever course is followed is the president's decision, not what commanders agreed on.
Bush has said on several occasions that he will follow the recommendation of Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, but the Pentagon plan makes certain that other points of view are heard.
Morrell said the commanders will make their presentations to Bush at around the same time that Petraeus appears before Congress to assess progress in Iraq in mid September.
Morrell said that those making presentations to the president would include Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Fallon, the commander of U.S. Central Command, which has responsibility for U.S. military actions in the Middle East, Army Gen. George Casey, the chief of staff of the Army, and Petraeus. In addition, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will share his opinion with the president.
Pentagon commanders are known to be divided over how to proceed in Iraq.
Pentagon officials have told McClatchy Newspapers that Casey, who was the top commander in Iraq, wants the U.S. to draw down forces and focus on training the Iraqi forces, as it did during his tenure in Iraq, and worries about the strain the war is having on the Army.
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times reported that Pace would recommend reducing the number of troops in Baghdad because the deployments are straining the military.
Petraeus, however, is expected to argue that the number of U.S. troops should be kept at their current levels, saying that the increase in U.S. forces this year is beginning to reduce sectarian violence.
Gates' position is not known, but he was a member of the Iraq Study Group, which advocated a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The surge, which sent an additional 28,000 troops to Iraq between February and June, was crafted as the secretary took over the department in December, and it is not considered his plan.
The surge, which called for about 28,000 additional troops into Baghdad, has pushed the number of troops serving in Iraq to its highest level since Saddam Hussein's regime fell in April 2003.
The increase was intended to reduce violence so that Iraq's politicians would have time to broker deals on some of the country's most divisive issues. Instead, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's government is floundering and Iraq's various political and ethnic factions are battling for control of the country.
An assessment by 16 U.S. intelligence agencies last week foresaw little progress during the next 12 months in efforts to reconcile Iraq's warring ethnic groups. It also reported that civilian deaths and violence remained at high levels.
Morrell said that making individual presentations about Iraq policy rather than trying to reach a consensus before talking to the president will lead to a more honest discussion.
Gates is "looking for a way to sort of make sure that the normal bureaucratic massaging that sometimes eliminates the rough edges or the sharp differences between individuals does not victimize this process so that the president can get distinct - if that's the way it turns out to be - points of view on where we are and where we need to go," Morrell said.
At the same time, Morrell made it clear that the decision rests with the president, not the military.
"I think once [the president] receives the advice from Gen. Petraeus - and as I have outlined - and others, my understanding is that he has a decision to make," Morrell said.
McClatchy Newspapers 2007
36 Comments so far
Show AllI can't believe those Pentagon pussies shot their wad and can't get it up again. How the hell do they expect me to invade Iran and Venezuela when they can't even kill all the Iraqis!
So far as I can see the situation in Iraq is mainly political. Our military has done it's part and done it well. The only way the situation can be resolved is by leaders of the different factions sitting down and coming to a consensus on how to move forward. Bush has failed as commander, and ultimately has failed politically to resolve this diplomatically. Is not diplomacy supposed to be a leaders strongest quality? If not then why do we vote these people into power? To place all the blame on the military is wrong as well as extremely irresponsible. This is a failure of leadership from beginning to end. Ask yourself did Bush really attempt to exhaust all diplomatic measures before we started dropping bombs on Bagdad?
No he was the "decider" and intelligence was manipulated to suit the agenda. He must be impeached if there is going to be an end to this insanity in the near future. This man is incapable of admitting that he has made mistakes. HE WILL NEVER CHANGE!!!Fire the liars
Regardless of what the Pentagon says, Bush is determined to continue the "surge," and the Democrats will roll over. Harry Reid made an interesting comment today, that he's willing to "compromise" with Bush on Iraq. Good God!! The Democrats continue to vote funding for the war, even as they okay troop increases. What the Hell is left to compromise?
So Petraeus is the one Bush is going to listen to? Petraeus should go to jail. He ordered, and was sent, 125 thousand AK 47 weapons and equal amounts of body armor and helmuts and LOST them all !!!! He said he didn't have a good system for tracking them What does tha tell you? I cannot believe this. It is outrageous that he LOST that materiel ; Doesn't anyone care? Where is the US media on this issue. Bought of by big oil?
Anne Nicolas Kirby
Happy Days - you got it right in one sentence. Forget Bush & Co. It's the "BIG BOYS " that pull all the strings!!!!
One is by Air Force Lt. Richard Van de Geer, a helicopter pilot assigned to assist in the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. This letter is on 15 May 1975, the day he was killed.
"The aircraft that landed on the Midway - landed about 50 feet away from mine - and the man who got out of the aircraft had been quoted approximately a week earlier as saying that any South Vietnamese who had left the country was a coward and that everybody should stay in South Vietnam and fight to the bitter end. This very same man was the first man to arrive on the USS Midway and to my knowledge the first to be recovered by the 7th Fleet. The man was Gen. Nguyen Cao Ky, vice president of the Republic of South Vietnam. Now I really don't have any personal feelings about the war here. I really don't care one way or the other in regard to who is right and who is wrong because that is a waste of time, a waste of thinking. But I did find myself feeling that I wish he had been shot down."
Officially, Lt. Van de Geer was the last man to die in the Vietnam War. His name is listed as last on the memorial in Washington. If Bush wonders from his dentist's chair about the end of Vietnam, Van de Geer gives you a fair idea.
Remove Bush Over War Lies
by Jimmy Breslin
I think it really sucks when there is so many in the USA that can't help themselves in this country never mind people half way around the world.
I feel terrible trying to put the burden on someone else.
These people that are responsible for all this can't be stopped? Stopping those responsible for this hell is the only righful solution.
I too feel deep regret for all those family's. I not only have regret but wish I could possibly do something to help them. I am sorry, just doesn't cut it, it doesn't make things any better for them.
The only thing I can do is pray that God looks over these people in their time of need. Secretly, I am hoping that other governments of the world finds compassion in their hearts to take these people in and help them. They have absolutely nothing to go back to. If they are not helped then this is pure genocide. I mean come on we are talking about 5 million people here. I just can't fathom,....I don't have no words that can express how I feel about what is happening to these people.
We need to ask what the heads of Exxon/Mobile and BP think about it, because what they want is what will happen.
Now there's a face of a confident General.
GAVINGOURLEY: I agree with what you said. What if Bush has a reputation for flying off the handle, shades of the king who would slay the messenger bearing bad news? So instead, the 3 or 4 powers come before him, each delivering ONE piece of the bad news puzzle.
DCBELTWAY: Good point.
FREEDOM LOVING AMERICAN: I, too, feel DEEP regret for the errors on the part of this nation's completely misguided "leadership" that is wreaking such direct horror on so many.
The report would best be titled, THE BETRAYUS REPORT.
Bush will not listen to anyone. He's a mental midget, with infantile emotions to match.
He'll do what he wants. Full speed ahead!
Bush will listen to those officers who support his design, and ignore all that call for troop reductions or changes in policy. We are afflicted with an Administration that has its own hidden agenda. Remember how Rumsfeld punished generals who disagreed? He is gone, but the Administration hasn't changed.
Doesn't matter what the generals say. Bush is insane. Literally. He will hear only what he wants to hear. And what he wants to hear is an echo of what is in his dark, vacant brain.
I don't think it matters if anyone gives a recommendation to bush. He has already made up his mind to continue this illegal war and to continue this surge. He's gonna say that the iraquis are making progress and that we have to stay and fight al qaeda over there or they will come here. The sky is falling. Congress needs to cut off funds for this illegal war totally and not be bullied by bush anymore.
this is as close to a military coup as we will see - the brass is saying we will not endorse more Bush. Instead, we'll offer some suggestions and the let the politicos twist in the wind. The Dem Cowards should have more trouble with their mindless mantra about "supporting the troops." Especially, if people like you and me make every effort to shame them into changing their vote - this time.
I suspect that "non-professional military guys" refers to the politicians an political appointees in the Pentagon and the White House. It seems right that the buck should stop there. The military didn't start this insanity, the President and his political partners in crime did.
"non-professional" guys are Pentagon civilians -- people like Bush who have influence or authority over military policy but never served in the military. Usually, military personnel refer to those people as "civilians", and I kind of took the term "non-professional" to be mildly derisive. When you think of all the people who worked so hard to get us into this 'war', 'non-professional' certainly seems to be a good way to describe them, particularly from a military pov.
could this just possibly be another sign that the military has had enough? military suicide rates are up again and the pentagon says that it isn't necessarily due to active military service or combat issues. whatever that means! too many voices in the active military are beginning to speak out. how does the pentagon handle that? why not bring all of the troops home and leave the equal number of 'contractors' there to impose democracy and totally destroy iraq. as said before, we could rotate into the 'theater' most of the 23% of supporters that bush has. if this congress votes another dime to perpetuate this war i think that term limits will be actual fact in 2008! let's really mess with congress and go change our voter registration to 'independent'! they all will be then busy wondering where their 'base' went. their poll numbers will be meaningless. they will actually now have to say something of substance, make a decision and live with it. this is all we, the people, ask for. we need to change our questions to the candidates. stop asking if they experimented with 'pot' when they were in college! who cares! clinton said yes, but he didn't inhale. right, bill! i wish that soon george will exhale! peace to all.
I'm sure everyone remembers the song "never ending love for you". Well Bush has a different version:
Never-ending
By Robert R.Goldsborough III
He's got a never-ending war for you
With back-to-back deployments in Iraq
He says he's laying the foundation for peace
With never-ending havoc and never-ending grief
With never-ending havoc and never-ending grief
Never-ending secrets, never-ending torture
Never-ending recruitments, never-ending fear
Never-ending terror and catastrophes
Never-ending injuries and never-ending death
Never-ending injuries and never-ending death
He's got never-ending lies, never-ending threats
Afghanistan, Iraq and later Iran
Never-ending contracts and never-ending greed
Never-ending profits with never-ending war
Never-ending profits with never-ending war
© copyright All rights reserved by Robert R.Goldsborough III 8/26/2007.
I'm not surprised that a faction of the military is rebelling. Its the neocons and their Blackwater and Halliburton pals which are pushing this war and war with Iran. But the neocons and contractors are just arm chair warriors and are not the grunts in this.
I think most military leaders are well aware they are overstretched and the troops are burned out literally after too many rotations.
unending war = unending profits. Sectarian violence just what was fomented. The plan is working perfectly, civil war means we get to stay there.
bush will do what god tells him to do. but first he will have to get the dentist to replace that filling that fell out.
Mission Accomplished!
By definition "non-professional military guys" would be unpaid workers. Perhaps they get paid but they don't act professional? Perhaps they were allowed to enlist not because they qualified, rather the army had to make its quota during the month they applied for the job?
The military is presenting a series of opinions to Bush so that they can pass the buck. The generals know we've lost the plot in Iraq and they want to make sure they don't get blamed for it.
The interesting thing is that it shows how weak Bush has become, and that the power players in Washington know how weak he is. The Bush presidency could implode quite dramatically over the next few weeks.
We've gathered a group of chefs together so they can give their opinions on the best way to prepare a turd sandwich.
There is no best way. You throw it in the trash.
"War is too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Islamist infiltration, Islamist indoctrination, Islamist subversion and the international Islamist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids." - General Jack D. Ripper
The Bush administration and our republican presidential candidates remind me of that old robot on Lost in Space, "Danger, Danger, Danger"! In place of danger they use al Qaeda al qaeda al qaeda and terrorist, terrorist terrorist.
The assessment of 16 US intelligence agencies; LMFAO, who are we fighting? Let me answer this for our 16 US intelligence agencies, you can end this phony war at any time, you can declare victory, defeat, or anything else. The Iraqi people are even more helpless and defenseless than they were 5 years ago when the Bush administration/republican congress declared an unprovoked war on this once proud, nation. Isn't killing a million Iraqis and driving another 5 million out of their own country enough.
Perhaps if someone in one of the 16 intelligence agencies would go to Saudi Arabia and meet with Bin Ladin we could declare a victory on our war on terrorism. But then what would they have to do, we would have to go back to our mundane wars on our own society, like the war on our child/drugs, war on crime/imprison minorities, war on poverty and so on very boring and most importantly not that profitable of wars. Granted the more people imprisoned the less voter, humm.
You got to love it, now I have never belonged to any of the 16 intelligence agencies (LMFAO once again) but it seems to me that anytime a republican declares war on a generic noun it is really code to make sure it increases (with their help) and becomes a huge worldwide problem.
I apologize if I have offended anyone for making light of these most egregious criminal acts. However, I believe that the American people have been totally duped in this seemingly idiotic manner. Some are finally beginning to wake up. But to the millions of innocent, helpless and most needy people who lives have been destroyed by the Bush administration, all I can say is this:
I am one American who is truly sorry for all the grief, sorrow, and unforgivable worldwide atrocities committed by the Bush administration.
Let me guess, more deaths = we're being more successful in killing the Quedas = the surge is working.
Deaths down = Iraq is being stabilized = the surge is working.
Whatever the facts, they will indicate the surge is working.
Spin away guys, we expect nothing less.
"The professional military guys are going to the non-professional military guys and saying 'Resolve this'", said Jeffrey White, a military analyst for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Wha?
Who are these "non-professional military guys"?
And since when do the pros seek advice from the amateurs, much less turn the whole final decision making process over to them?
Bill from Saginaw
Interesting piece on Counterpunch
http://www.counterpunch.org/lind08302007.html
Children fighting.
Bush should not be allowed to make decisions like this. He and his colleagues including all the members of the senate & congress who have supported his so called "war on terrorism" should be locked up and treated by level headed psychologists/pschiatrists. The top US politicians are the terrorists. They are the ones who have the blood of hundreds of thousands of people on their filthy nasty hands. The corrupt American politicians have cloaked their bloody and greedy deeds in fair words, but millions all over the world know that they are terribly deluded and dangerous.
-----------------------------------
"Man must change or die.
There is no other course."
The World Teacher
We'll see. I wonder which viewpoints will be
repeated over and over and over again for the
gullible public to enshrine as truth.
This is interesting. Allowing anti-surge viewpoints to be presented means the military is anti-surge as a whole -- and must present the inevtibale Petraeus pro-surge position grudgingly.
But, I don't trust Pace, and I sense trouble on the horizon for anyone who exercises the right to differ from the permanent surge position that the White House is no doubt demanding.
As with everything, the appointment of Petraeus to the report was political, and his "findings" probably could have been written before he started.
What happened to the findings of the Iraq Study Group? Were those findings inferior perhaps because they were more independent and outside the political pre-determinations of the White House?
Highest level of troops since April 2003? Wow, I'm sure glad major combat is over and our mission accomplished or we'd really be in trouble.