Bush Speech Today: Next Prez Can Deal With Iraq

[babylonsister]

After all that talk, finally a decision. Behold, America, your new (sort of) way forward in Iraq:

President Bush plans to announce today that he will cut Army combat tours in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months, returning rotations to where they were before last year's troop buildup in an effort to alleviate the tremendous stress on the military, administration officials said.

The move is in response to intense pressure from service commanders who have expressed anxiety about the toll of long deployments on their soldiers and, more broadly, about the U.S. military's ability to confront unanticipated threats. Bush will announce the decision during a national speech, in which aides said he will also embrace Army Gen. David H. Petraeus's plan to indefinitely suspend a drawdown of forces.

The twin decisions may set the course for U.S. policy in Iraq through the fall and perhaps for the rest of Bush's presidency....

The bottom line seems to be that after pulling out the extra forces Bush sent last year, the United States will keep about 140,000 troops in Iraq at least through the November presidential election....

But Bush's decision will affect only those troops sent to Iraq as of Aug. 1 or later, meaning that those already there still have to complete 15-month tours. Bobby Muller, president of Veterans for America, an advocacy group, said that nearly half of the Army's active-duty frontline units are currently deployed for 15 months, and that Bush's decision leaves them out.

And how will you know whether things are going well, well enough to expect any troop withdrawals before the end of the year? As Gen. David Petraeus made abundantly clear this week, it's not clear. It's a lack of clarity shared at the highest levels of the administration:

more...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/todays_must_read_314.php

[mwb970]

1. Same as it ever was....

bush roars in, screws everything up, collects the money and roars out, leaving a horrible mess for someone else to clean up. He's done it all his life.

Why we let this completely unqualified person ruin our country for eight years is beyond me.

[predfan]

2. Isn't it amazing how little msm airplay the death of the American officer in the green Zone got.

He was on a treadmill in a building hit by mortar fire. Just an illustration of how ridculous the Bush Administration was to build the incredibly huge, incredibly expensive new embassy, creating the ultimate target for Iraqis to drop shells over into for generations to come. Not to worry, thought. Bush's Kuwaiti contractor friends got their money to build it.

[KansDem]

3. I certainly hope this SOB winds up in prison...

I know it won't happen, but I can certainly hope.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Once again, I has done it. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

[Supersedeas]

5. the Coward of Crawford crouches and hides behind Crocker--waiting for a real leader to step into the

fray