日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

WORLD> Middle East
US may cut troop levels in Iraq this fall
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-17 07:19

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's top military officer said Wednesday that he is likely to recommend further troop reductions in Iraq this fall. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that on his recent trip to Iraq, he found conditions had improved more than he expected.

"I won't go so far as to say that progress in Iraq from a military perspective has reached a tipping point or is irreversible -- it has not, and it is not," Mullen told a Pentagon press conference.

"But security is unquestionably and remarkably better. Indeed, if these trends continue I expect to be able early this fall to recommend to the secretary and the president further troop reductions," he said.


US soldiers patrol the outskirts of the town of Baquba, 20 kms northeast of Baghdad, in February 2008. Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs, said Wednesday he would likely recommend "further troop reductions" in coming months if security continues to improve in Iraq. [Agencies]

His remarks came in the midst of an election year in which Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees-in-waiting, have disagreed over US strategy in Iraq with the war now in its fifth year.

The issue of troop levels in Iraq also has been weighing heavily on plans for boosting troop levels in Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise.

The military buildup in Iraq that began more than 18 months ago has ended. In recent days, the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade, the last of the five additional combat brigades sent in by President Bush last year, left the country.

Its departure marks the end of what the Pentagon calls the "surge." And it starts the 45-day evaluation period that Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, told Congress he would need to assess the security situation and determine how many more troops he could send home.

Related readings:
 Official: US troop level in Iraq will be 140,000
 US troop levels in Iraq reach all-time high
 Majority want US troop deadline in Iraq - poll
 Al-Qaida touts US troop cuts in Iraq

Commanders have talked carefully, but somewhat optimistically, about the prospects for cutting troop levels more later this fall.

In recent months, they have pointed to two significant improvements: Violence is down, and the Iraqi forces are rapidly growing in size and ability.

Officials have been hoping that if security continues to improve in Iraq, they may be able to send more units to Afghanistan, where they say violence is increasing because of the flow of militants from neighboring Pakistan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that officials are looking for ways to send additional US troops to Afghanistan this year.

For his part, Petraeus remains mum. When questioned by lawmakers in May, he would say only that he is likely to recommend more troop cuts in the fall.

"I do believe there will be certain assets that, as we are already looking at the picture right now, we'll be able to recommend can be either redeployed or not deployed to the theater in the fall," he said.

   Previous page 1 2 Next Page  
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美三级一区 | 黄页网站免费在线观看 | av在线播放一区 | 国产精品久久在线观看 | 成人黄色免费观看 | 欧美成人免费在线视频 | 亚洲精品一区二区三区在线观看 | 日本免费三片在线播放 | 91午夜理伦私人影院 | 国产精成人品免费观看 | 中文天堂在线视频 | 亚洲欧美国产高清va在线播放 | 日韩六区 | 性色av免费| 在线视频一区二区 | 中文字幕日韩欧美 | av在线播放免费 | 好吊妞在线 | 一区二区视频在线免费观看 | 欧美a视频 | 国产小视频在线观看 | 欧美有码在线观看 | 亚洲在线免费观看视频 | 国产精品高潮av | 在线成人亚洲 | 日韩精品福利视频 | 一区二区三区国产视频 | 婷婷丁香色 | 免费在线视频一区二区 | 欧美特级黄色大片 | 久久精品免费观看 | 欧美一区二区三区免费看 | 97久久久 | av片在线看| 欧美无玛| 免费爱爱视频 | 欧美黄色免费在线观看 | 超碰人人超 | 91免费福利视频 | 亚洲精品男人的天堂 | 午夜aaa|