国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

   

Bush warns of more losses in Iraq

(AP)
Updated: 2006-12-21 07:30

Abizaid and Casey have opposed sending more troops to Iraq, and their departures could make it easier for Bush to send more soldiers to the war. One option calls for sending five or more additional combat brigades — roughly 20,000 or more troops.

Apart from any increase in Iraq, Bush said the military's overall size should be increased to relieve the heavy strain on US troops, reversing the previous position of his administration during Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon tenure. Bush also said a troop surge in Iraq would have to be for a specific mission.

Related readings:
Gates: Failure in Iraq will haunt US
Gates set to take over at Pentagon
Bush signals possible shift in Iraq policy
New US defense head faces tests of unpopular war

His remarks appeared intended to address doubts voiced by prominent military officials who worry that sending more troops to Iraq would be ineffective and put more demands on an already-stretched US military.

"There's got to be a specific mission that can be accomplished with the addition of more troops before, you know, I agree on that strategy," the president said.

The administration says many questions have to be answered about sending in more troops: What would be their purpose, what would they do, how long would they stay and what is the Iraqi government's view on the rules of engagement for more US forces? Also, would the additional troops serve in training positions, in combat, to help civilian forces or for a combination of those roles?

"I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq except that it's going to require difficult choices and additional sacrifices because the enemy is merciless and violent," the president said.

Bush was unwavering about US goals for Iraq.

"Victory in Iraq is achievable," he said. "It hadn't happened nearly as quickly as I hoped it would have. ...

"But I also don't believe most Americans want us just to get out now," the president said. "A lot of Americans understand the consequences of defeat. Retreat would embolden radicals. It would hurt the credibility of the United States."

Bush stepped back from his confident assertion two months ago that "absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq. Wednesday, he said, "We're not winning. We're not losing."

The president said he changed his formulation because "we're not succeeding nearly as fast as I wanted ... and that the conditions are tough in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad."

He said his original remark, on Oct. 25, was made in the spirit that "I believe that we're going to win. I believe that — and, by the way, if I didn't think that, I wouldn't have our troops there."


 12


Top World News  
Today's Top News  
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
开平市| 平阳县| 隆昌县| 荣成市| 榆树市| 华宁县| 鱼台县| 辛集市| 垫江县| 无锡市| 牟定县| 温州市| 三穗县| 浑源县| 宾阳县| 霍城县| 舒城县| 贵港市| 托里县| 陈巴尔虎旗| 景泰县| 新巴尔虎左旗| 大埔区| 海安县| 茶陵县| 洛南县| 东光县| 青冈县| 当涂县| 遂平县| 普格县| 金塔县| 三都| 临西县| 清水河县| 辉县市| 寿光市| 南召县| 高要市| 兴宁市| 宜丰县|