Will the Democrats acknowledge the withdrawal now or completely ignore it as they have done for months now. Nevermind that this has been planned for months now, to listen to the Democrats you would of thought the opposite:
ABOUT 5000 US troops will head home later this month as part of a withdrawal plan announced by President George W. Bush.
“Current conditions allow for a withdrawal of the first unit, the Grey Wolf Brigade, starting on November 27th,” , military spokesman Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said today.
The brigade would not be replaced and the drawdown was an indication of “overall improved security within Iraq as well as the improved capabilities of the Iraqi security forces”.
The brigade has been deployed in restive Diyala province where a series of military crackdowns have been launched targeting al-Qaeda militants.
In September, Mr Bush announced plans for the immediate withdrawal of a marine expeditionary unit of about 2000 troops, followed by a combat brigade by December.
He also said four army combat brigades and two marine battalions would return home by July 2008, reducing US forces to pre-surge levels of 15 combat brigades, or around 130,000 troops.
Here is Admiral Smith’s release:
During his September 2007 testimony to United States Congress,
General Petraeus assessed that current conditions will enable the
Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces to accept more control
of the battle space through a planned drawdown of American troops.
Current conditions allow for a withdrawal of the first unit – the Grey
Wolf Brigade – starting on November 27th. If conditions continue to
permit, a total of five brigade combat teams will be redeployed over
the next eight months.There are several important points we want to stress on the redeployment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team:
The
redeployment without replacement reflects overall improved security
within Iraq as well as the improved capabilities of the Iraqi Security
Forces and the emergence of concerned local citizens.The
redeployment of the Grey Wolf Brigade does not mean their area of
operations in Diyala Province will be vacated. We do not intend to
give back hard fought ground. Repositioning of Coalition and Iraqi
security forces will ensure that overall force levels and combat
capabilities in Diyala will be tailored to meet emerging threats. AQI
remains a threat in Diyala and our forces, alongside the Iraqis, will
continue to combat these terrorists.The improved security
situation in Iraq – brought about by the surge of operations – more
capable Iraqi Security Forces – and the courageous commitment by Iraqi
citizens to oppose AQI and extremist violence – has made the
redeployment of five combat brigades possible. The Iraqi citizens –
and their elected government – are forging a nation that represents all
its citizens – and one that will be able to govern, defend and sustain
itself.The redeployment of the Grey Wolf Brigade represents a positive step towards reaching this destination.
Now, who do you think will be the first amongst the Democrats to try and take credit for this? “Forcing” Bush to drawdown the troops…
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Democrats COULD take credit for the withdrawal by claiming that they called for more troops before the President did, by claiming that the President acted in support of Democrats’ demands, and that their strategy of more troops is what did the job. These all have some truth to them, but only because (like every other natsec issue) Dems have spoken out of both sides of their mouths-demanding one thing, then opposing it OR absolutely standing with resolve against something (NSA wiretapping, troop funding, Patriot Act I & II) and then supporting it.
The real question is: how long will the American people at large believe them? With 2-face Hillary dropping in national polls and in Iowa etc., and with Democrats’ Congressional approval almost dropped into the margin of error… it would seem the country realizes the political bait/switch marketing technique, and isn’t liking it. People want change, but people want change from the 16yrs of BS we’ve had now.
Get ready for Afghanistan to re-enter the news cycle(today’s Wapo,A1) and dem talking points, Hillary’s “forgotton war” comment.
The more success we see in Iraq, the more the dems will bury their misguided withdrawel stance and attempt to refocus on their Afghanistan I told you so.
I predict we will see more Tora Bora, war lords and poppies, poppies, poppies in the near future.
Iraq will be the new “forgotten war.”
They won’t have to acknowledge anything positive and the press will help them get away with it.
Missy,
Not that I do not believe leftists and their allies in the media will not simply make up bad news stories as they have done in Iraq, but they will be hard pressed to say we are ‘losing’ in Afghanistan (though we have seen trolls here try) as the Taliban lost THOUSANDS of fighters this year in direct attacks against NATO bases and patrols along with hundreds more in failed attacks on non-taliban tribes.
An example of a fake ‘bad news’ story: I was at Camp Phoenix in Baghdad to watch CNN-I tell me how I ‘died’ in a VIED while they filmed the Babel power plant’s smokestack. They angled the camera so that the actual stack was hidden, but the billowing crude oil smoke (which powers the plant) was visible. Luckily my then pregant wife was used to me “dying” every few weeks and was not surprised when I called her a few minutes later. The worst part, like many of these homicide bomb attacks on police/military recruiting lines (most are also made up ‘news’), is that CNN has no guilt at making up lies for America’s enemies.
Thank you for your service ChrisG and how do we thank your wife? Amazing! She must be tough!
No need to worry about Afghanistan now, the new deal between Bush and Maliki will keep them busy for awhile. Instead of poppies, it will be oil.
Missy,
Thanks. As for my wife, well, don’t piss off Sicilian-Viking mixes!! She watches as little news as possible and does her own investigative journalism. She will start yelling at the TV every time one of these “journalists” screws up a story. It drives her mother, who still believes that everyone in the media HAS to be honest, nuts.
I saw some reports on Afghanistan’s resources. If they can get to these reserves and actually produce and export them, Afghanistan could have something great to add to the world and move away from opiates.
http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/afghan.htm
Though looking through the Google listings for references, the moonbats “screaming points” are shifting to “we only invaded the wonderfully cute and harmless people of Afghanistan so that X-oil company can exploit those poor, helpless people who were never a threat to anyone. I know this because my Democrat leaders told me it all as they got on board their private jet from thier stretch limo.”
Honestly, the mental gymnastics the left can do is astounding.