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Reluctant support for Bush
10/01/2007 14:46 - (SA)
Washington - The US military Joint Chiefs of Staff will reluctantly support President George W Bush's plan to send 20 000 more US troops to Iraq, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing Pentagon insiders.
The Joint Chiefs - generals and admirals that advise the US president on military issues - have long opposed adding to the 132 000 US troops already in Iraq, according to the Post.
They are "only grudgingly" going along with the plan, which Bush will unveil late on Wednesday, because they were promised that renewed political and economic efforts in Iraq would be coupled with the so-called "surge" of troops, the Post reported.
Bush has long said that he will heed the advice of his top military officers concerning Iraq.
But the president "wasn't satisfied with the recommendations he was getting" from the military commanders, Philip Zelikow, a former state department counsellor that was involved with Iraqi policy, told the Post.
The president "thought we need a strategy that was more purposeful and likely to succeed if the Iraqis could make that possible", Zelikow said.
The Joint Chiefs fear the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki may not provide the military support or implement the political reforms necessary for US forces to eventually withdraw, the Post reported.
In mid-November General John Abizaid, the outgoing head of Central Command - in charge of US military operations in North Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan - told a congressional hearing that increasing US troop levels was not the solution to Iraq's problems.
Abizaid, who is retiring, is being replaced by Admiral William Fallon, the White House announced on January 5.
And General George Casey, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, is also being replaced by General David Petraeus, who served several tours in Iraq.
Bush's decision to ignore military advice appears to be the first major disagreement with the brass over Iraq since then-army chief of staff (now retired) General Eric Shinseki told congress in February 2003 that the planned US occupation force was too small, and that "several hundred thousand soldiers" would be needed.
Shinseki subsequently took an early retirement.
- AFP
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