September 16, 2007

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

SEN. REED: General Petraeus, have you ever recommended or requested the extension of tours to 18 months for the accelerated deployment of Guard and Reserve forces?

GEN. PETRAEUS: I have certainly never recommended extension beyond 15 months. In fact, General Odierno and I put out a letter that said that, I mean, unless things got completely out of control, that we would not even think of extending beyond 15 months.

SEN. REED: Having done that, doesn't that virtually lock you in to a recommendation of reducing troops by 30,000 beginning in April and extending through the summer, regardless of what's happening on the ground?

GEN. PETRAEUS: It, depending -- except depending on what can be taken out of the reserves. Again, I don't know what is available in the National Guard and the Reserves. I do know that the active army, in particular, that the string does run out for the army to meet the year-back criteria.

Now, what we have done, of course, as I mentioned, Senator, is actually, in fact, to take some elements out short of their 15-month mark because of our assessment of the situation...

SEN. REED: I understand that, but -- and I think, basically, my sense is that the overriding constraint you face is not what's happening on the ground in Iraq, but the reality, unless you did recommend, request and then succeed that unless tours were extended, 30,000 troops are coming out of there beginning April of next year, regardless of the situation on the ground.

GEN. PETRAEUS: Again, certainly, the active brigade combat teams were going to come out of there. Again, I am not aware of what is available in terms of battalions, brigades or what have you...

SEN. REED: My sense is that the Reserve and National Guard forces are not available to replace this.

GEN. PETRAEUS: I think that's the case. But, again, I don't know because I have not asked.

Let's just file this little exchange away (for now)...

What he Say?
& he's the Majority Leader.............................

Let's just turn Isreal over to Iran, & put our heads back in the sand.

Posted by: BillW at September 16, 2007 08:31 AM | Permalink to this comment

OK, I'll take this one. Bill, I would suggest before any further attempts to engage this crowd you first inform yourself beyond the third grade level. Reed, of course, is not the majority leader.

Posted by: FGF at September 16, 2007 11:47 AM | Permalink to this comment