Defense Secretary Gates Slams Congress - Says “Undermining Military Planning”
Defense Secretary Gates meets with Marines.
WASHINGTON- Paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in fits and starts undermines military planning and risks gains made by U.S. troops over the past year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.
Congress this week approved $70 billion for combat operations, but that is only half of what the President Bush requested.
“We will again face the risk of running out of money,” Gates said at a Pentagon news conference. He said the uncertainly of funding requires the Defense Department to make “short-term plans and short-term decisions.”
Gates was cautiously optimistic about further troop reductions in Iraq beyond those already planned through next summer, but declined to make any specific projection.
“We obviously want to sustain the gains that we have already made,” Gates said.
In September, Gates raised the possibility that U.S. troop levels could be reduced to 100,000 by the end of 2008 if conditions in Iraq continued to improve. At the time, he had stressed that it was a hope, not a plan and that it would depend on how well the initial troop withdrawals go during the first half of the year.
On Friday, Gates said it was a lapse on his part to give an absolute number. Circumstances on the ground and the judgment of Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, will dictate further reductions. Current plans call for reducing the 20 combat brigades to 15 by next summer, which would leave roughly 130,000 American troops in the country. Gates said the number could be pared to 10 by the end of 2008 if violence in Iraq continues to ebb.
(AP)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Yep. Just another in a series of treasonous acts by the US democRat-led incongruous that attempts to make us lose. When will the justice department begin the prosecutions? When hell freezes over.
December 21st, 2007 at 11:13 amSounds like the same position Rummy would be holding. But with the minor victory of running Rummy out of office on a rail, the reality of the GWOT remains the same. FUND OUR TROOPS you congressional dem assholes. Their risking their lives to protect ours!
Worst - Congress - Ever
December 21st, 2007 at 11:54 am