On background, U.S. commanders voice concerns about pullout
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts BAGHDAD — U.S. military commanders have been concerned that a rapid troop withdrawal could renew ethnic violence as well as the Al Qaida network in Iraq, Geostrategy-Direct.com reported.
Several of the commanders, who refused to identify themselves, warned that any decision by President Barack Obama to accelerate plans for a pullout in 2009 could destabilize the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. They said Iraq's military and police were not ready to fill the vacuum left by any U.S. troop withdrawal.
"Everybody here would love to go home and fast," a U.S. field commander said. "But if we begin packing up now, then we can kiss two years of relative stability goodbye and watch the disintegration of this country."
On Jan. 21, Obama, who envisions a full withdrawal by July 2010, directed defense and military officials to draft a plan for "a responsible military drawdown in Iraq."
The presidential session included Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Central Command chief Gen. David Petraeus.
"In the coming days and weeks, I will also visit the [Defense Department] to consult with the Joint Chiefs on these issues," Obama said. "And we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region."
The commanders said the U.S. military has received appeals from senior Iraqi politicians and officers to preserve the current withdrawal schedule. Under a 2008 agreement, the U.S. military would leave Iraq by 2012.
The U.S. military concern has been echoed by senior American diplomats in Baghdad. On Jan. 22, outgoing U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker, who participated in the session with the president, warned that Iraq was not ready to counter insurgency and other threats.