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December 2, 2008 9:07:52 PM CST

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Britain Will Resist US Calls
for Afghan Buildup

Army stretched too thin, top commander says

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) Nov 10, 08 12:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Britain should oppose any calls from President Obama to shift troops to Afghanistan as they are pulled out of Iraq, the country's defense chief says, arguing that UK troops need a breather. “I have said for a very long time that the British armed forces are stretched,” Sir Jock Stirrup told the Guardian. “We have to put ourselves back into balance.” And the foreign secretary, David Miliband, says Britain is already doing its fair share in Afghanistan. More »

More about:  Great Britain • Afghanistan • President Obama • NATO • Iraq exit strategy • David Miliband • British troops • troop levels • NATO troops

Iraq Troop Levels to Hold Steady Under Bush

But numbers will increase in Afghanistan

Washington Post Washington Post Sep 9, 08 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Troop levels in Iraq won't change until after George Bush leaves office, the president will announce in a speech today, leaving further withdrawals as an immediate matter for his successor —although Bush will oversee what amounts to a transfer of US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. The announcement likely represents his last major decision in the pair of wars, the Washington Post reports. More »

More about:  George W. Bush • Iraq war • US military • troop withdrawal • Afghanistan war • troop levels

Rice Arrives in Baghdad for Troop Deal Talks

In surprise visit, secretary seeks new mandate for US military

CNN CNN Aug 21, 08 6:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Iraq on an unannounced trip, where she will meet with PM Nouri al-Maliki and other top officials to continue talks to keep American troops in the country after their UN mandate expires. While sources in both the US and Iraq have said that an agreement has already been drafted, Rice insisted that "all of the reports and rumors and chatter, it really ought to be ignored," reports CNN. "When we have a deal, we'll have a deal." More »

More about:  Iraq • Condoleezza Rice • Nouri al-Maliki • Iraq exit strategy • timetable • troop levels • UN mandate

ANALYSIS

McCain Adopts Obama's Afghanistan Position

Stance on US vs. NATO troops appears to soften

Huffington Post Huffington Post Jul 15, 08 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain suddenly switched both schedule and policy today, transforming a speech about jobs into one on Afghanistan, and echoing Barack Obama's argument for sending in new brigades. Obama has long said more troops are needed in Afghanistan, but McCain has repeatedly contended that NATO should pick up the slack, the Huffington Post reports. More »

More about:  Barack Obama • John McCain • Afghanistan • surge • flip flop • Joint Chiefs of Staff • troop levels

 Bush to Shorten Iraq
 Tours, Halt Drawdowns  

Combat tours shortened to one year

Washington Post Washington Post Apr 10, 08 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Bush is expected to announce today that the drawdown of US troops in Iraq will be suspended—once forces reach their presurge level in July—because of a resurgence of fighting, reports the Washington Post . The decision, urged by Gen. David Petraeus, means the number of troops in Iraq could remain at their presurge levels until the end of the Bush presidency. More »

More about:  Iraq war • David Petraeus • Robert Gates • troop levels • deployment • troop drawdown

Petraeus Sees No New Troop Buildup in Iraq

General wraps up
two days of testimony before Congress

Washington Post Washington Post Apr 9, 08 8:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gen. David H. Petraeus told the House Armed Forces Committee today that he does not foresee another buildup of US armed forces in Iraq, calling the possibility of a new surge "a pretty remote thought in my mind." If violences escalates again, the Army will make do with American and Iraqi troops already there, the Washington Post reports. His testimony comes a day before President Bush will lay out his troop strategy. More »

US to Stall Troop Cuts Over Iraqi Elections

But Baghdad vetoed
plan for the ballots earlier this week

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Mar 1, 08 3:16 PM CST
(Newser) - US troop cuts in Iraq will stall after July to ensure security for local elections, a Washington official said yesterday. "You can actually increase your own risk if you pull out too many simultaneously," the official said. "This is not a stall tactic." But Baghdad officials nixed plans for the summer ballots this week, highlighting tensions between Baghdad and provincial governments. More »

More about:  Iraq • Pentagon • David Petraeus • troop surge • troop levels • provincial elections • Iraqi elections • troop reduction

Army to Shorten Combat Tours

Three years between deployments

Reuters Reuters Feb 27, 08 7:40 AM CST
(Newser) - The Pentagon aims to trim tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 15 months to a year with an eventual three years between deployments, the Army's top general told the Senate Committee on Armed Services yesterday. The change will be made after the military reduces troop levels this summer, Reuters reports, and commanders believe it possible even with a pause in the drawdown. More »

8,000 Surge Troops to Stay Put

More than a quarter of surge troops ordered to stick it out

CNN CNN Feb 26, 08 6:38 AM CST
(Newser) - More than a quarter of the extra troops sent to Iraq during the surge will stay in the war zone and not return to the US this summer as previously planned, the Pentagon has revealed. Some 8,000 of the 30,000 surge troops—including helicopter crews, supply units, headquarters staff, and military guards for Iraqi prisons—will be ordered to stay behind, leaving the total number of troops in Iraq at 140,000, reports CNN. More »

More about:  Iraq • Iraq war • al-Qaeda • David Petraeus • troop withdrawal • surge • troop levels

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