The 30,000 Troop Promise

by Taylor Marsh

The military is at war about the war. Bush is trying to keep the lid on and General Petraeus is helping him do it.

Another new arrival in the West Wing set up a rapid-response PR unit hard-wired into Petraeus's shop. Ed Gillespie, the new presidential counselor, organized daily conference calls at 7:45 a.m. and again late in the afternoon between the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the U.S. Embassy and military in Baghdad to map out ways of selling the surge. ... ..

Among Top Officials, 'Surge' Has Sparked Dissent, Infighting

Congress and the American people are being sold a decidedly unpresidential bill of goods. There have been reports of Admiral Fallon's disagreement with General Petraeus. It's a harder line than we're being told. Unfortunately, we won't be privy to the truth until we're in the midst of the '08 elections.

But it's questionable whether even the smoothest-talking salesman could appease public opinion--or Petraeus's Pentagon detractors--at this point. NEWSWEEK has learned that a separate internal report being prepared by a Pentagon working group will "differ substantially" from Petraeus's recommendations, according to an official who is privy to the ongoing discussions but would speak about them only on condition of anonymity. An early version of the report, which is currently being drafted and is expected to be completed by the beginning of next year, will "recommend a very rapid reduction in American forces: as much as two-thirds of the existing force very quickly, while keeping the remainder there." The strategy will involve unwinding the still large U.S. presence in big forward operation bases and putting smaller teams in outposts. "There is interest at senior levels [of the Pentagon] in getting alternative views" to Petraeus, the official said. Among others, Centcom commander Admiral William Fallon is known to want to draw down faster than Petraeus.

(snip)

John Arquilla, an intelligence and counterinsurgency expert at the Naval Postgraduate School, is even harsher in his assessment of Petraeus. "I think Colin Powell used dodgy information to get us into the war, and Petraeus is using dodgy information to keep us there," he said. ... ..

The General as Salesman

Admiral Fallon wants a quicker redeployment, a more immediate response to the debacle in which we're entrenched.

Today General Petraeus said "I don't know" to Senator Warner's question, Is the Iraq war making the U.S. safer?

Now we're hearing "breaking news" from the AP that Bush will announce a reduction of 30,000 troops.

But if you look at this archived article you'll notice something very interesting. It's deja vu all over again.

Circa April 2006:

Officials: U.S. hopes to pull 30,000 troops Rumsfeld, Rice visit Iraq, encourage formation of government

Wednesday, April 26, 2006; Posted: 8:50 p.m. EDT (00:50 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has tentative plans to reduce U.S. troops levels in Iraq by about 30,000 by the end of the year, senior military officials said Wednesday.

The fact that Mr. Bush and General Petraeus are talking about drawing down 30,000 troops is an insult to our intelligence. Those troops were always planned to be pulled, otherwise our Army and Marines would collapse. Not a very impressive tactic when you think about it, especially considering the costs, human and economic. But the general is tasked with one job: keeping us in Iraq until the Republicans hand off the presidency to the Democrats. They intend on blaming us for Bush's war. It's been the plan all along.

Comments

[richw23]

This is bizarre, maybe it's because my ear is just tuned to "news" on this subject.

This morning one of our local LA New shows stated that troops would START to be withdrawn AT THE END of next summer.

Three days in a row and three different distorted or factually incorrect statements on national news and local news, heard just in passing.

Does nobody proofread this stuff? What are the qualifications to be a news writer???

[richw23]

I posted yesterday about Couric's statement that implied 30,000 troops would be cut immediately...

The very next night, while interviewing Petraeus she mentions that 30,000 troops are going to be cut at the end of "this summer".

Does she really not know? Of does whoever writes her stuff really not know? She might not, a lot of news just uses the number 30,000 as being cut with no time frame. So if she's not paying any more attention than the average moron, really she doesn't know.

[TUCANOFULANO]

It's pretty much the same at the Chinese toy store where prices are doubled just before a "50 percent off sale".

[richw23]

This is almost a direct quote from Katie Couric last night. "The plan is to cut 30,000 troops and leave the balance deployed until next summer".

Complete distorion. Her or the writer? Who knows? TV news stinks.

We have at least one channel here in LA that's given up on distinctions between suspects and perpetrators altogether. Everyone is a suspect, including the guy in the security video you're seeing do the crime.

You've got the guys that write it and the guys that review the shows and fix the problems. Wow, those guys stink.

[LWkcma]

If Americans were truly intelligent there would be no bush II. Never underestimate the ignorance of the voters.

[Dap]

Truth telling again dear Ms. Marsh? That's a strict NO,NO these days, yet, I heart ya for your candor. Agape.

[FlowerGirl]

The store is going to have a sale next week, so we should raise our prices 50% now. Then we can honestly advertise a third off for the sale and .... you get the point, I'm sure.

[laocoon]

What is so disturbing is how long and with how many people this transparent stuff from GWB has worked and continues to work. I know apparently intelligence people who consistently fail to see through any of it. I sometime think I am watching Michael Palin selling John Cleese a dead parrot or claiming to be a cheese store althoughthere is no cheese. Almost that preposterous on its face and yet the Bushies act like they are that dumb and that we are koolaid drinkers if we dont buy it.

[wsblake]

But as Mencken said " No one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

[duboisist]

NOBODY is THAT stupid.

Almost everyone understands what is really happening, by now. They just keep hearing that there is nothing they can do about it, which isn't true.

The "American public," only needs to do 3 things to take back OUR government:

1. REGISTER TO VOTE.
If they are eligible to vote and haven't done so already.

2. ACTUALLY VOTE.
It doesn't matter WHO you vote for. You can write in a candidate, even if it's Mickey Mouse. The point is for you to sign whatever document stating that YOU DID VOTE.

3. TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT YOU WANT.
Don't count on POLLS and the MEDIA to get your message across and don't think lobbying is the exclusive right of a bunch of sleazy people who are trying to steal a buck.
WE ALL HAVE TO LOBBY for the preservation of government and the Constitution that holds it together.

[sadnmadinvirginia]

I'm tired of one thing....soldiers are dying and being severely injured, day after day, month after month, while we the people are lied to day after day, month after month. Our system of government is failing us..........Get out of Iraq, and go after Bin Laden, like we should have done right after 9/11. Enough is Enough.

[duboisist]

Our system of government HAS NOT FAILED US, yet. So far, it is WE who have failed it.

Bush, Inc. has distorted our government, but THE CONGRESS WON'T STAND UP AND FULFILL THEIR CONSTITUIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. The idea that ONLY the Democrats should "check and balance" the posers of a Republican President is both a symptom and a cause of further erosion of our government.
Republicans and Democrats are ALL the representative of ALL the people. The ALL took the SAME oath about the SAME Constitution:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."

WE THE PEOPLE are part of the government and we have a role to play. Those who hold office are suppose to hold each other accountable IN OUR NAME, but WE are suppose to HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
Just as being a Republican doesn't absolve government officials of their responsibility, it doesn't absolve citizens from theirs.

If the President won't end this war, the Congress is suppose to IMPEACH him and end it themselves. If the Congress won't do their jobs, it up to WE THE PEOPLE to give their jobs to people who will AND SEE TO IT THEY NEVER HOLD ANY, I repeat, ANY OFFICE AGAIN.

It's not enough for us citizens to WANT the war to end. We have to tell members of Congress, in no uncertain terms, that we expect them to STOP WHINING and MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[laocoon]

We fail because we expect the system to work on auto pilot. Much of the problem lies in the media. When this countries was founded there were only printing presses. there were many independent newspapers in each little town and the capital investment of a press was relatively minor. Since then there have been huge and unforeseen changes. the rich and powerful have realized that advertising, whether it be useless gadgets or political agendas, can manipulate demand and opinions and if all else fails muddy that which is otherwise clear.

[duboisist]

There is only one way to stop this nonsense.

1. CUT OFF THE MONEY.
That's the reason the contractors and the defense industry are doing everything in there power to keep us there.
Moreover, it's what the Iraqis are fighting over.

2. STOP ALL THIS cynical "9/11 - defend the home front - support the troops" bullshit.
It's all one lie on top of another used to distract US from dealing with THEM. Their actions speak loud and clear.
They don't care how many Iraqis die. They don't care how many of our troops die. They don't care how many of US die and they couldn't care less HOW we die.
Anybody who uses these "buzzwords" should immediately be called on it by the media.

3. SEND A DIPLOMATIC "SURGE" TO IRAQ.
Bypass the corrupt politicians who are willing to watch their people die so they can increase the balance in their foreign bank account. Work with the U. N. to teach those willing how to negotiate for peace.
Send some Nobel Peace Prize winners like Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus, and Kofi Annan.
Send Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell (Give him a chance to redeem himself).
Send Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush (He's had to clean up all his son's other messes, so by now he should be an expert at that too.)

We need to end this war AND give peace a chance.

[Observer1]

I think it was a brilliant strategy on Bush's part.

1. Send 30,000 troops to Iraq

2. If the surge works, Bush is vindicated

3. If the surge does not work, then announce a withdrawal of 30,000 troops, and Bush is seen as open to the idea of a withdrawal (of sorts)
Shut up the Democrats.

4. If the US starts to carpet bomb Iran, these 30,000 troops will simply be redeployed since they are already in the region.

Anyway you take it, there will be no reduction of troops in the ME for the next two years at least.

[Will753]

I get so tired of Bush's repackaging of this war. When will an adult in washington or anywhere else stand up and not only say but do the right thing. We are imploding!

[Tellmethetruth]

I hope Americans can add and subtract although I wonder. Okeh, we started the war with 140,000 troops - then in February of 2007, we did a "surge of 30,000' troups but actually added 50,000 troups bringing us to 190,000 troups and by November of 2008 we have slowly withdrawn 30,000 troups leaving us well...either in the same place we started the war at 140,000 plus 20,000 troups. But... the President will be able to claim we are withdrawing the troups and no one has the right to complain... the war instead of being a quagmire is coming to an end.

30,000 - 30,000 = no change.

[indypete]

Why do you think they're trying to dumb down the education system?!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"The fact that Mr. Bush and General Petraeus are talking about drawing down 30,000 troops is an insult to our intelligence."


What does Bush think about the intelligence of his enablers?

You can see for yourself by just looking at his smirk.

[researcher]

the insult to our intelligence is that we continue to put these warmongers both demo and repub's into office.

even our media is in on it. the worst of course being fox warmongering noise.

blood for oil and call it war on terrorism. any idiot would know this war had nothing to do with terrorism.

what does this make we americans if any idiot would know that this so called illegal war was about terrorism.

we americans must hang our heads in shame for allowing our republic to come to this. did we learn nothing from vietnam?

[itmaybetoolate]

amuricans? shame!!? you must be kidding. We amuricans are the most arrogant people on the face of the earth! Did you forget that the universe revolves around us and what we want? We might need to send you to a re-education camp (built by cheney's cronies and run by fuc-us on the family).

[Plowboy]

Arrogance was a thing some were proud of a while back. They sent around a bit of jingoist doggerel proclaiminng it. And certainly we have the most intelligence too. How many other nations had intelligennce proving that Iraq had WMDs? or that they could strike London in 45 minutes time? And to be sure the world revolves around us (or rather those big global corporations which use us so well.) And THAT Lobby! (Is it not ours? Oh, well, are we its?)
And we are surely the bravest. We had John Wayne and Sean Connery. (What? He is a Scot? Oh, forget him then! He wasn't as good as that Texas Ranger Chuck Norris anyhow.)
And we are good people. We are hated for our goodness, for goodness' sake! Didn't our president say so?
And we are so high faluting that even our buttermilk is cultured.
Too bad those troops can't come home and enjoy being so wonderful, like the CEOs of some of our oil corporations and that kind do.

[BUSHsurvivor]

In February, when 130,000 troops were still in Iraq, we called for troop withdrawal.

We were ignored and 30,000 troops were "surged" bringing the total to 160,000 troops.

Fast forward to June 2008. 30,000 (for the sake of arguement) are sent home leaving total troop count left to 130,000.

In other words, right back to February 2007!

Bush is going backward and bringing America with him...and we are allowing it!

[indypete]

Yeah, but he gets to say, "See what a good boy I am, I brought 30,000 troops home." It's like the old sales trick of overpricing an item then putting it "on sale" at its regular price causing people to grab it as a bargain.