Military Planners, in Nod to Obama, Are Preparing for a Faster Iraq Withdrawal

[babylonsister]

Military Planners, in Nod to Obama, Are Preparing for a Faster Iraq Withdrawal

Bob Strong/Reuters

United States Army soldiers in Afghanistan keeping watch near the Pakistan border. President-elect Barack Obama wants to increase forces in Afghanistan.

By ELISABETH BUMILLER and THOM SHANKER
Published: January 14, 2009


WASHINGTON — Military commanders are drawing up plans for a faster withdrawal of American troops from Iraq in anticipation that President-elect Barack Obama will reject current proposals as too slow, Pentagon and military officials said Wednesday.

The new plans would provide alternatives to a timetable drawn up by the top American commanders for Iraq to bring troops home more slowly than Mr. Obama promised during his presidential campaign. Those plans were described to Mr. Obama last month.

The officials said that Mr. Obama had not requested the new plans, but that they were being prepared in response to public statements from the president-elect and on the basis of conversations between military officials and members of Mr. Obama’s transition team.

Mr. Obama met last week in Washington with his national security team, including Robert M. Gates, the defense secretary, and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/us/politics/15policy.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

[babylonsister]

1. Isn't it nice the military wants to work with Obama. Why, yes it is!

:hide:

[bigtree]

2. But,

. . . defense officials emphasized that the Obama plan would be among a range of options that will be ready for the president-elect to review as soon as he takes office on Tuesday.

There was no indication that planners viewed the Obama timetable favorably.

"We want a variety of options including the 16-month drawdown and the risks associated with those possibilities," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.

On Thursday, officials said the 16-month option was included in planning by U.S. Commander in Iraq Gen. Ray Odierno, not at Obama's request but in response to the president-elect's public statements.

"We would be remiss if the options we showed him did not include the one he campaigned on," Morrell told reporters.


http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE50E5QP20090115