According to a front-page article in the Washington Post, the Pentagon plans to move several U.S. military brigades out of Iraq soon, and put them “on call” in Kuwait. With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder how soon Republicans will accuse the Pentagon of embracing a “cut and run” strategy.
Barring any major surprises in Iraq, the Pentagon tentatively plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces there early next year by as many as three combat brigades, from 18 now, but to keep at least one brigade “on call” in Kuwait in case more troops are needed quickly, several senior military officers said.
Pentagon authorities also have set a series of “decision points” during 2006 to consider further force cuts that, under a “moderately optimistic” scenario, would drop the total number of troops from more than 150,000 now to fewer than 100,000, including 10 combat brigades, by the end of the year, the officers said.
This isn’t entirely new — similar plans have been floated in recent months — but in the current political environment, these plans have a certain salience. Indeed, the fact that “several senior military officers” would talk the WaPo about scaling down U.S. forces in Iraq the same week the White House insisted the troops aren’t going anywhere, suggests the Bush gang — surprise, surprise — may not have its act together in planning for the future of Iraq.
For that matter, it was none other than Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a man Republicans excoriated for practically being a traitor to America, who suggested something similar to the Pentagon strategy last week when he emphasized “redeployment” of U.S. troops.
Murtha stressed this point Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, saying he wanted to “redeploy the troops to the periphery.” He used that phrase — “to the periphery,” meaning just offshore or across the border from Iraq, not all the way home — three times during the interview.
So, despite all the talking points about cutting and running, Murtha envisioned redeploying troops over the next couple of months to locations just across the border from Iraq, in a place such as Kuwait, where’d they remain “on call.” Which, it just so happens, is exactly what several senior military officers are now planning to do.
Granted, they’re not the exact same plan, but based on the rhetoric from the GOP last week, you’d have thought Murtha had recommended turning over the keys to the nuclear arsenal to Osama bin Laden. As is turns out, the crux of Murtha’s Iraq strategy seems to have a few fans over at the Pentagon.
Apologies can be sent to:
The Honorable John Murtha
Washington, D.C. Office
2423 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515