Dems Confident On Backdoor Withdrawal Bill
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are confident they can pass legislation to give troops more rest between Iraq deployments, a measure aimed at sneakily forcing the Bush administration to withdraw from Iraq.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the proposal by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a dangerous “backdoor way” to draw down additional forces. Gates said he would recommend a veto.
“If we get this next phase wrong—no matter how you feel about how we got to where we are, the consequences of getting this wrong for Iraq, for the region, for us are enormous,” he said Sunday.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., responded that shorter breaks were creating an undue strain on U.S. troops and their families.
“They deserve the same amount of time back home as they stay in the field,” Reed said.
The comments represented the latest political clash over the war. President Bush last week announced plans for a limited drawdown but indicated combat forces would stay in Iraq well past 2008.
The Senate was scheduled to resume debate this week on withdrawal legislation, including Webb’s proposal to require that troops have as much time at their home station as they do deployed to Iraq.
Gates was asked in broadcast interviews about recommending a Bush veto should the proposal pass. “Yes I would,” the Pentagon chief said.
“If it were enacted, we would have force management problems that would be extremely difficult and, in fact, affect combat effectiveness and perhaps pose greater risk to our troops,” he said.
Supporters of Webb’s measure say it has at least 57 of the 60 votes needed. It would need 67 votes to override a veto.
A separate proposal by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., seeks to restrict troops’ mission to fighting terrorists and training the Iraqi security force.
“The president has dangled a carrot in front of the American people talking about troop reductions,” Levin said. “But, again, it is an illusion of a change of course and the American people are not buying it. My colleagues are not buying it.”
“I think we have a good chance of getting to the 60 votes to call for a change in policy. I hope we get there in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
If Webb’s amendment were enacted, Gates said it would force him to consider again extending tours in Iraq. Military commanders would be constrained in the use of available forces, creating gaps and forcing greater use of the National Guard and Reserve, he said.
“It would be extremely difficult for us to manage that. It really is a backdoor way to try and force the president to accelerate the drawdown,” Gates said. “Again, the drawdowns have to be based on the conditions on the ground.”
“A unit pulling out would not be immediately replaced by another,” he added. “So you’d have an area of combat operations where no U.S. forces would be present for a period, and the troops coming in would then face a much more difficult situation.”
Active-duty Army units currently are on 15-month deployments with a promise of 12 months rest. Marines who spend seven or more months at war sometimes get an average six months at home.
Bush said last week that he approved a plan by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, to withdraw 5,700 troops from Iraq by the holidays and reduce the force from 20 combat brigades to 15 brigades by next July.
The president has ordered Petraeus to make a further assessment and recommendations in March.
There are about 169,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Gates on Friday raised the possibility of cutting troop levels to 100,000 or so by the end of next year, well beyond the cuts Bush announced, in what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture to anti-war Democrats and some wary Republicans.
But on Sunday, Gates said he could not say how large the force would be in the coming years, stressing that it would depend on whether the security situation in Iraq had improved dramatically.
Bush has compared America’s future in Iraq to the peacekeeping role U.S. troops play in South Korea, where they have been stationed for decades.
Gates spoke on “Fox News Sunday” and “This Week” on ABC. Reed was on ABC and Levin appeared on “Face the Nation” on CBS.
The AP contributed to this report
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Democrats are experts at using the backdoor. If it weren’t for all of the homo’s having sex in the backdoor, there would be no more Democrats
September 17th, 2007 at 4:01 amThey’re trying to destroy the military!
September 17th, 2007 at 4:10 am[…] Dems Confident On Backdoor Withdrawal Bill — Pat Dollard […]
September 17th, 2007 at 4:41 amWhat else can we expect from a deviate like Webb? Read his novels. This guy is one weird dude.
Being a slicky-boy doesn’t make him smart either. Maybe he thinks so. I sure as hell don’t.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:12 amThe time it will take for the defeatocrats where to have this plan put in place it will already be getting done by the President. They know this but they think they’ll be able to make it look they forced the policy change because “they’re all about the troops”. If the surge goes as planned all of this will be done.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:14 amWe’re now doing what everyone said we should have done at the start. The President has done what Nixon did back when he replaced Westmoreland with, I can’t remember his name. Back then Nixon started the Vietnamization and go us out by ‘73 and then the democrats ripped it all apart in ‘75. I hope they don’t do the same because the President will win this and it will be interesting to see if they’re going to do a repeat.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:36 amJust typed “Vietnamization”, meant to type Vietnamization of the War, that’s what it was called. Dam bi-focal line keeps getting in the way.
September 17th, 2007 at 6:07 amCongress needs to stop messing with the administration of the military. Congressmen, especially war-dodging democrats have no idea of what troops want or need. If they did, people like Clinton wouldn’t go over there and bash the war on tv while standing in front of troops. Let the military decide what is best for it as far as deployment schedules, because most everyone in congress has no idea what they are talking about. They make laws, not military strategy right?
September 17th, 2007 at 7:30 amJ.C:
His name was Creighton Abrams. You the dude that was in the lead tank that broke the siege of Bastogne?
September 17th, 2007 at 7:56 amPS.
Webb doesn’t have the veto-proof votes. He also likes to exaggerate his chances of success. Not going to happen…
September 17th, 2007 at 7:58 amDan, Bastogne(?), I’m only 59.
September 17th, 2007 at 8:59 amFucking bastards are diabolical. “Troop rest.” Of course.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:06 amThe Dems lost a political fight this week and they know it. From trying to set a date to surrender in July, to trying to sully Gen. Petraeus, they lost. They don’t get to pass a bill to “withdraw now.” And they are too cowardly to put their money where their mouths are with cutting off funds, as any honorable anti-war person would do. So, they are stuck with Bush’s policy for the duration. Nevertheless, this does not relieve the overall question of a resolution for Iraq, nor does it put a GOP pres. candidate in a good position. Oh well, maybe the American people will trust a GOP leader more than a Dem “always surrender” “always blame America and its military first” candidate.
September 17th, 2007 at 1:17 pmBlowin’ smoke — it’s all the Dems have left. But the MSM choke-off of good news is still in place, with very few breaches. It needs to be busted open.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:27 pm