Patreaus: Another troop buildup unlikely
WASHINGTON (AP) - April 9, 2008 Gen. David Petraeus told a House panel that such a move would be
considered the last resort, in part because of the strain it would
place on the Army. First, the military could try to reallocate
existing troops to respond to any hotspots. It also would rely more
on Iraqi forces, which are improving in capability, he said.
"That would be a pretty remote thought in my mind," he said of
reinstating last year's influx of troops.
Petraeus has recommended to President Bush that the U.S.
complete, by the end of July, the withdrawal of the 20,000 troops
that were sent to Iraq last year to calm the violence there. Beyond
that, the general proposed a 45-day evaluation period, to be
followed by an indefinite period of assessment before he would
recommend any further pullouts.
"We think it makes sense to have some time, to let the dust
settle, perhaps to do some adjustment of forces, re-evaluation,"
he told the House Armed Services Committee.
Wednesday's hearing marked the second-day of testimony by
Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq. Both
described Iraq as a fragile state and warned that hard-fought
security gains could slip if troops leave too soon.
Democrats said pausing troop reductions would signal to the
Iraqis that the United States was committed to the war
indefinitely.
"Political reconciliation hasn't happened, and violence has
leveled off and may be creeping back up," said Rep. Ike Skelton,
D-Mo., chairman of the House committee. "So how can we encourage,
if not force, the intransigent political leaders of Iraq to forge a
real nation out of their base sectarian instincts?"
Republicans were considerably more optimistic about the
situation in Iraq than last year.
"No one can deny that the security situation in Iraq has
improved," said Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, the No. 1
Republican on the committee.
When pressed by Skelton, the four-star general said he can
envision more troops leaving after July.
"I can foresee the reduction beyond the 15" Army brigades that
will be left behind in Iraq this summer, he said. But like Tuesday,
he refused to give senators any kind of timetable: "The question
is at what pace that will take place," he said.
Petraeus said the health of U.S. ground forces was a "major
strategic consideration" in his recommendation and will continue
to be a factor in his assessments. The Bush administration is
expected to announce this week that combat tours will be reduced
from the current 15 months to 12 months, regardless of the 45-day
pause in troop withdrawals.
"I am keenly aware of the strain," Petraeus said. Having been
deployed himself since 2001, "this is something that my family and
I do know a great deal about personally."
On progress made by Iraqi forces, Petraeus said Baghdad's
security units represent "a very, very mixed bag across the
board." In the recent Basra operation, the Iraqis displayed an
impressive ability to deploy themselves. But the fight itself was
hastily done with many units unprepared for battle, he said.
The White House signaled Wednesday - as Bush has for weeks -
that it was likely the president would embrace recommendations of
Petraeus and his generals in the field. White House press secretary
Dana Perino said it is "within the realm of possibility" that
Bush would discuss in his Thursday speech the length of soldiers'
tours of duty in Iraq.
"I think the president has gotten a lot of advice," she said.
"I think he's pretty far down the path of what he's going to say
tomorrow."
Lacking the votes to order troops home by a certain date,
Democrats plan to push legislation this spring that would force the
Iraqi government to spend its own surplus in oil revenues to
rebuild the country, sparing U.S. dollars. Many Republicans have
signaled their concerns about burgeoning Iraqi oil revenues at a
time when the war is growing increasingly costly.
"This nation is facing record deficits and the Iraqis have
translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than
effective services," Skelton said. "Under these circumstances and
with the strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness,
we and the American people must ask - why should we stay in Iraq in
large numbers?"
Iraq is looking at a potential boon in oil revenue this year,
possibly as much as $100 billion in 2007 and 2008. Meanwhile, the
U.S. military is having to buy its fuel on the open market, paying
on average $3.23 a gallon and spending some $153 million a month in
Iraq on fuel alone.
While Iraq pays for fuel for its own troops, it has relied
heavily on U.S. dollars to provide people with basic services,
including more than $45 billion for reconstruction.