Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Gates seeks U.S. troop cuts in exchange for a smaller longterm presence
Security
(AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is seeking a political deal in Washington to trade off troop cuts in Iraq for support for a long-term, smaller presence there, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Citing unnamed US government officials, the Journal said that Gates and some political allies are pursuing political support for maintaining a US military presence in Iraq to continue the fight against Al-Qaeda.
The tradeoff, according to the report, is a commitment to slashing back troop levels -- now about 155,000 -- by the end of President George W. Bush's term in office, in January 2009. Gates's goal is to mollify the strong US sentiment for a pullout of US forces, while not abandoning Iraq altogether.
"The complicating factor is how long the administration will stick with its 'surge' strategy of keeping high levels of troops in Iraq to try to tamp down violence there. On this issue, the administration -- and even the military -- is deeply divided," the Journal said.
In Gates's plan, the US would trim back its presence and its goals to fighting Al-Qaeda and simply containing a civil war that might erupt, rather than the current aim of defeating all insurgents and ending the conflict between Iraqi groups, mostly aligned on Sunni and Shiite Muslim lines.
"The change in thinking underscores administration officials' increasing concern that rapidly diminishing support for the war among Americans and in Congress could spark a precipitous withdrawal," the newspaper said. "Administration officials fear such an outcome could endanger US national security by leaving a failed state in the hands of Shiite and Sunni Islamic extremists."
The tradeoff, according to the report, is a commitment to slashing back troop levels -- now about 155,000 -- by the end of President George W. Bush's term in office, in January 2009. Gates's goal is to mollify the strong US sentiment for a pullout of US forces, while not abandoning Iraq altogether.
"The complicating factor is how long the administration will stick with its 'surge' strategy of keeping high levels of troops in Iraq to try to tamp down violence there. On this issue, the administration -- and even the military -- is deeply divided," the Journal said.
In Gates's plan, the US would trim back its presence and its goals to fighting Al-Qaeda and simply containing a civil war that might erupt, rather than the current aim of defeating all insurgents and ending the conflict between Iraqi groups, mostly aligned on Sunni and Shiite Muslim lines.
"The change in thinking underscores administration officials' increasing concern that rapidly diminishing support for the war among Americans and in Congress could spark a precipitous withdrawal," the newspaper said. "Administration officials fear such an outcome could endanger US national security by leaving a failed state in the hands of Shiite and Sunni Islamic extremists."
Labels: Iraq, Robert Gates, U.S. troop cuts
