Officer: US May Reduce Forces by Spring

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Officer: US May Reduce Forces by Spring

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer

Friday, June 22, 2007

(06-22) 07:43 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The U.S. may be able to reduce combat forces in Iraq by next spring,
if Iraq's own security forces continue to grow and improve, a senior
American commander said Friday.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top day-to-day commander of U.S.
forces in Iraq, did not predict any U.S. reductions but said it may be
feasible by spring. There are currently 156,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from his headquarters outside
Baghdad, Odierno gave an update on the series of U.S. offensives
that are underway in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad and in
areas south and west of the capital. He said U.S. and Iraqi troops
have made important progress.

"I think if everything goes the way it's going now, there's a potential
that by the spring we will be able to reduce forces, and Iraq security
forces could take over," he said. "It could happen sooner than that.
I don't know."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/22/national/w074347D18.DTL

[DS1]

1. 2004?

I think I've heard this before

[shain from kane]

2. You're FIRED. You can go home now.

[monktonman]

3. Yesterday they were talking about an increase

Oh boy, some senior commander says.....
More spin.

[babylonsister]

4. Baloney; too late. Step it up. nt

[Benhurst]

5. Spring of what? 2057? What bullshit.

[BushLiesDaily]

6. Of course they are going to reduce troop levels in Iraq...

they'll be in Iran.

[GreenTea]

7. Bullshit, more like late summer closer to the 2008 election to help the republicans...

They will just be bringing home the same troops they used to get funding for the bullshit "surge" and claim victory, by bringing the same amount of troops home right before the elections hoping the republicans will cruise to victory as well...good Rove tactic...because the republicans are dead in the water and have nothing else, they have to do this....and will then continue to keep the occupation going after the election...as always it's all for their owned media show...to fool the ignorant!

[rodeodance]

8. they have been setting the stage for us (and Bush will listen to HIS commanders on the ground!!)

[PurityOfEssence]

9. U.S. may reduce forces by election day

...but there's no connection.

None.

None at all.

[Vilis Veritas]

10. The sun will come out tomorrow,

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow...will be sunny and little fluffy bunnies will be dancing in the streets of Baghdad.

Bullshit.

Reduce. Reuse. Resend. Re-up. Recharge.

Remember that word. RECHARGE. They will reduce troops so that they can RECHARGE the military.

Also, by Spring, Blackwater will be able to send in some more PMC troops to shore up any reduction in US troops...

Peace.

[daleo]

11. There's light at the end of the tunnel

Peace with honor too.

[MGKrebs]

12. Just around the corner.

Well I'm a little hot-wired but I'm feeling ok
And I got a little lost along the way
And I'm just around the corner from the light of day
Just around the corner from the light of day

Bruce

[underpants]

13. They have to- we knew this 4 months ago

There were several reports that April of 2008 was by far the furthest they could go in the current situation.

ON EDIT-this is being reported as a response to the public's outcry and/or the soldiers well being, BULLSHIT this is a sign that they ran the machine out of gas.

[maddezmom]

14. we're not arming Sunni insurgents, just gave them AK 47's

:wtf:

Odierno also said that while coalition forces are cooperating with some Sunni militants, they are not arming them _ something observers caution could come back to haunt U.S. troops later.

"I want to make one thing very clear: We are not arming these groups," Odierno said. "We just took a hard look at this and the best I can tell, we armed 10 security detachment personnel for a mayor in one town because he was being threatened.

"We did give him 10 AK-47s; beyond that, we have not given weapons to any insurgent groups," he said. "They have plenty of weapons."