But numbers will increase in Afghanistan
Washington Post Sep 9, 08 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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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.
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Denies book's claims; author unveils shocker on death teams
CNN Sep 9, 08 5:22 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The White House has angrily rejected Bob Woodward's claim that the administration was riven by dissent ahead of the surge in Iraq, CNN reports. Woodward wrote in his new book that President Bush pushed troop levels past the Joint Chiefs, ignoring their worries about over-extending the military. The War Within went on sale yesterday.
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Joint Chiefs were pushed aside, new Woodward book says
Washington Post Sep 8, 08 3:14 PM CDT
(Newser)
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In the months leading up to the Iraq surge, President Bush faced a revolt by frustrated Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Washington Post ’s Bob Woodward writes in a new book, The War Within . Bush dumped the military leaders’ advice as Iraq spun out of control in fall of 2006, pushing a five-brigade surge on the hesitant generals while pulling rank.
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Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to take commander's place
Reuters Sep 8, 08 7:03 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Gen. David Petraeus will step down as the top US commander in Iraq on Sept. 16, handing the reins to Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 commander there until recently, Reuters reports. Petraeus, who led the troop surge that ushered in a major decline in Iraq violence, will become head of Central Command, which oversees a region from Kenya to Kazakhstan.
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Woodward book reveals finds 'detached' Bush 'often failed to lead' on Iraq
Washington Post Sep 5, 08 4:21 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The Bush administration conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders even while seeking to win their trust, according to a new book from the Washington Post 's Bob Woodward. The book portrays an administration hamstrung by indecision as its Iraq strategy fell apart in 2006, and a detached president orchestrated "overconfident" briefings on the situation.
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Military cedes control of largest region in Iraq
BBC Sep 1, 08 6:30 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The American military is finally handing over control of Anbar province, once the center of the Sunni insurgency, to Iraqi forces today. Once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, Anbar was transformed as Sunni militants allied themselves with the US. The transfer of Anbar, delayed several times, brings the number of provinces under Iraqi control to 11 out of 18, reports the BBC.
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State Dept., Pentagon, military leaders were split over plan
New York Times Aug 31, 08 10:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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President Bush’s 2007 addition of 20,000 troops in Iraq helped stabilize the country —but advisers didn’t support the idea until the situation there looked like “civil war,” in the CIA’s words. Instead, the Pentagon wanted to shift responsibilities to Iraqi troops; the State Department wanted to focus fighting elsewhere; and the US Iraq ambassador said a troop surge would hurt conditions there, the New York Times reports.
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ANALYSIS
$1.2B spent for private security firms; critics say Iraqis should be picking up slack instead
USA Today Aug 28, 08 1:21 PM CDT
(Newser)
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American troops are trickling home, but at a hefty cost: The US has spent more than $1.2 billion this year on private security contractors—mostly to protect diplomats, but also to secure infrastructure and supplies, USA Today reports. The State Department says now that focus has shifted to rebuilding, officials are venturing out of secure areas to do field work and require more protection.
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Military needs more eligible recruits
to fill its ranks
Associated Press Aug 27, 08 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The US Army today opened its first prep school to prepare high school dropouts for military service, the AP reports. With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not enough eligible recruits, the Army wants unqualified prospects to earn their GEDs. "Only three out of every 10 people of military age" qualify, says one Army rep. "We are going to have to do something different."
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ANALYSIS
2011 withdrawal probable thanks to tougher local forces
Wall Street Journal Aug 22, 08 10:40 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The US's preliminary agreement with Iraq to withdraw most combat troops by 2011 would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. Declining levels of violence, a ceasefire with the Mahdi Army, and the about-face of Sunni leaders have all helped, the Wall Street Journal reports, but for the administration, one factor trumps all others: the strengthening of the Iraqi army from ragtag force to legitimate operation.
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ANALYSIS
Candidates have flaws to exploit—if attacks don't get personal first
Washington Post Aug 19, 08 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Appearances by the presidential contenders at a veterans convention highlight not only substantive differences on the Iraq war, Dan Balz observes in the Washington Post , but a growing undertone of personal enmity. After McCain yesterday questioned Obama’s judgment on the troop surge as politically motivated, Obama’s “indignation was evident as he denounced the 'political attacks’ leveled by McCain” today, Balz notes.
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White House braces for debut of Iraq-centric The War Within
Politico Aug 19, 08 11:20 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Bob Woodward’s fourth book on the Bush White House, originally a mere 352 pages, has ballooned into 496 pages of inside dope and is due in stores Sept. 8, Politico reports. And the mystery-shrouded volume, which focuses on the Iraq conflict, officially has a name: The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 . Simon & Schuster says it plans to print 900,000 copies.
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