Rift Between General And Secretary Of Defense

There is a story of a rift between General Petraeus, and Defense Secretary Gates over the drawdown of troops, that was expected to occur this year.

President Bush has declared that the planned troop drawdown in Iraq is "on track," but within the Defense Department, signs of disagreement are emerging over how much further US forces can be cut later this year. At issue is how much of a drawdown is possible after the expected departure of five combat brigades from Iraq this summer.


Mr. Bush, who is in his last year in office, and Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, appear to be in no rush to reduce the number of troops any further. This is in the hope of ensuring that the improved security environment in Iraq stays that way. But some in the Defense Department, quietly led by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, say that while the security gains in Iraq are to be carefully guarded, there is only so much the troops can do.

I had split with supporters of the war, last July/August after the Iraqi government took a vacation for all of August, as our troops were fighting and dying for them. I support the troops, and believe that during this surge there has been significant military gains, but the governmental situation is still far from where it needs to be for us to leave safely, and to leave Iraq intact. Until the Iraqi's decide to take control of the country, we are just biding time, and our troops, and their civilians will continue to die for nothing!!


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