lily
01-27-2007, 08:36 PM
Well, already one ofÂ*Â*the main conditions has been set aside. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR2007012601208.html?referrer=email)
Gates Working to Accelerate Deployment
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 27, 2007; Page A14
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that he was working to
accelerate the deployment of 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq,
suggesting that the influx of American troops is no longer contingent upon
the Iraqi government fulfilling its commitments for Baghdad security
operations.
Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, confirmed yesterday by the Senate as the senior
U.S. commander in Iraq, testified this week that he needs all of the
troops -- and possibly more -- for the mission to quell sectarian violence
in Baghdad. "As long as he feels he needs them, they're all going to flow,"
Gates told reporters at his first Pentagon news conference.
"We are going to see if the timetable for the dispatch of the brigades can
be accelerated," Gates said, although he added that logistical hurdles may
prevent speeding up the movement for all or some of the troops.
The U.S. troop increases now underway in both Iraq and Afghanistan reflect a
deliberate effort to "create an environment in which the commanders feel
open to requesting what they think they need," Gates said, suggesting that
in the past U.S. commanders have not felt comfortable asking for
reinforcements. Still, he said, "there is no blank check," and requests for
more troops will be vetted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff before being
presented to him and President Bush for a decision.
In congressional testimony and statements earlier this month, Gates had
suggested that the flow of additional U.S. troops to Iraq would be dependent
upon the Iraqi government meeting specific pledges -- such as sending three
more Iraqi army brigades to Baghdad and lifting restrictions on U.S.
military operations targeting certain Baghdad districts or individuals.
"The timetable for the introduction of additional U.S. forces will provide
ample opportunity early on and before many of the additional U.S. troops
actually arrive in Iraq to evaluate the progress of this endeavor and
whether the Iraqis are fulfilling their commitments to us," he said at a
White House news conference earlier this month.
Yesterday's statements made it clear that any decision on withholding troops
would be left to Petraeus, who has said he favors moving the troops to Iraq
as quickly as possible.
Gates Working to Accelerate Deployment
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 27, 2007; Page A14
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that he was working to
accelerate the deployment of 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq,
suggesting that the influx of American troops is no longer contingent upon
the Iraqi government fulfilling its commitments for Baghdad security
operations.
Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, confirmed yesterday by the Senate as the senior
U.S. commander in Iraq, testified this week that he needs all of the
troops -- and possibly more -- for the mission to quell sectarian violence
in Baghdad. "As long as he feels he needs them, they're all going to flow,"
Gates told reporters at his first Pentagon news conference.
"We are going to see if the timetable for the dispatch of the brigades can
be accelerated," Gates said, although he added that logistical hurdles may
prevent speeding up the movement for all or some of the troops.
The U.S. troop increases now underway in both Iraq and Afghanistan reflect a
deliberate effort to "create an environment in which the commanders feel
open to requesting what they think they need," Gates said, suggesting that
in the past U.S. commanders have not felt comfortable asking for
reinforcements. Still, he said, "there is no blank check," and requests for
more troops will be vetted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff before being
presented to him and President Bush for a decision.
In congressional testimony and statements earlier this month, Gates had
suggested that the flow of additional U.S. troops to Iraq would be dependent
upon the Iraqi government meeting specific pledges -- such as sending three
more Iraqi army brigades to Baghdad and lifting restrictions on U.S.
military operations targeting certain Baghdad districts or individuals.
"The timetable for the introduction of additional U.S. forces will provide
ample opportunity early on and before many of the additional U.S. troops
actually arrive in Iraq to evaluate the progress of this endeavor and
whether the Iraqis are fulfilling their commitments to us," he said at a
White House news conference earlier this month.
Yesterday's statements made it clear that any decision on withholding troops
would be left to Petraeus, who has said he favors moving the troops to Iraq
as quickly as possible.