Gates: Drawdown needs period of evaluation

[unhappycamper]

Gates: Drawdown needs period of evaluation
By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Feb 11, 2008 20:59:30 EST

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday endorsed, for the first time, the idea of pausing the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq this summer.

“A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense,” Gates told reporters after meeting with Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Petraeus has indicated in recent weeks that he wants a “period of evaluation” this summer to assess the impact on Iraq security of reducing the U.S. military presence from 20 brigades to 15 brigades.

Of that five-brigade reduction, only one has departed thus far. The last of the five is to be gone by the end of July.

In his remarks at this U.S. base in southern Baghdad, Gates said Petraeus had given him his view on the drawdown, which some fear could result in giving up some of the security gains of recent months.

In endorsing Petraeus’ suggestion of pausing after July, Gates made it clear that President Bush would have the final say. Until now, it had been unclear how Gates felt about the idea of a pause. He had said publicly a number of times that he hoped conditions in Iraq would permit a continuation of the drawdown in the second half of the year.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_gatesdrawdown_080211/



uhc comment: These fuckers will do everything possible to keep our men and women in Iraq. Read about how effecive Gates was at the CIA -->

[lligrd]

1. Hmm, I Wonder What That Evaluation Will Show?

So they lied again, not relly news these days.