Штаты готовятся весной тихо слинять из Ирака?("Financial Times" *)
вопреки параллельным громогласным пропагандистским речугам Буша " мы
будем бороться там сколько нужно", загодя начинают подстилать соломку.
Такие же "раздвоения сознания" пиндонстанской верхушки все яснее видны в
финансово-экономическом планировании ( проблема учетной ставки , роста
инфляции -который есть вопреки декларациям, роста ВВП - который
выдувается с помощью нынешней"лукавой цифры"). Проще говоря -
"официально" и громогласно говорится все чаще и наглей обратное тому,
что происходит на самом деле и что втихую реально собираются
предпринимать. Спокойная и наглая ложь официоза и в политике и в
экономике - как система
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{The US is expected to pull significant numbers of troops out of Iraq in
the next 12 months in spite of the continuing violence, according to the
general responsible for near-term planning in the country}{>>}
US general sees significant withdrawal in IraqBy Peter Spiegel in London
and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington Published: August 24 2005 21:46 |
Last updated: August 24 2005 23:49
[US troops in Iraq]The US is expected to pull significant numbers of
troops out of Iraq in the next 12 months in spite of the continuing
violence, according to the general responsible for near-term planning in
the country.
Maj Gen Douglas Lute, director of operations at US Central Command,
yesterday said the reductions were part of a push by Gen John Abizaid,
commander of all US troops in the region, to put the burden of defending
Iraq on Iraqi forces.
He denied the withdrawal was motivated by political pressure from
Washington.
He said: в??We believe at some point, in order to break this dependence
on the . . . coalition, you simply have to back off and let the Iraqis
step forward.
в??You have to undercut the perception of occupation in Iraq. It's very
difficult to do that when you have 150,000-plus, largely western,
foreign troops occupying the country.в??
While he cautioned that any troop reduction would be conditional on
continued political progress and ongoing improvement in Iraqi force
training, he said Centcom planners believed в??the political process
will play out, that we will see a constitution, that we will see, by
some political machinations, the Sunnis brought into the process and we
will proceed to national elections in Decemberв??.
в??If we see that and if we see progress on the second front, which is
continued progress with the Iraqi security force next year, this time
we'll be in the position to make some adjustments in our force
structure.в??
Last week, Gen Peter Schoomaker, US army chief of staff, said his office
was planning for the possibility that troop levels could be maintained
until 2009. But Maj Gen Lute said such a worst-case scenario was
unlikely.
в??I will tell you this, as the operation officer of Centcom, if a year
from now I've got to call on all those army troops that Gen Schoomaker
is prepared to provide, I won't feel real good about myself,в?? he said.
Gen George Casey, commander of allied forces in Iraq, made similar
comments last month on reductions that could come by early next year but
they were quickly played down by the White House.
Pentagon plans for в??long war' on terror В
The US hopes to pacify Iraq and then take on al-Qaeda and its affiliates
in an offensive from the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan's borders.
George W. Bush, the US president, has said no decisions have been made
on troop levels in 2006. в??I think they were rumours. I think they're
speculation,в?? he said at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, this month
after meeting his national security team.
Yesterday, the president again insisted: в??We will stay, we will fight
and we will win the war on terror. An immediate withdrawal from Iraq or
the greater Middle East would only embolden the terrorists.в??
Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, insisted that Mr Bush and
his top generals remained united on the issue. в??Any suggestion that
there is disagreement between the President and our military commanders
in Iraq is absurd,в?? he said.
в??We are all on the same page when it comes to our strategy of standing
up Iraqi forces so we can stand down our forces. We have always said
troop levels will be determined by our commanders, based on conditions
on the ground.в??
But Maj Gen Lute's comments the first to detail extensively the reasons
behind such a reduction give credence to reports that Gen Abizaid hopes
to hand over to Iraqi forces within the next year large parts of the 14
Iraqi provinces that have remained relatively peaceful.
Maj Gen Lute, who is responsible for the Centcom's plans over the next
12-18 months, said military officials expected troop reductions to occur
most rapidly outside the Sunni Triangle.
