Military fears political inertia in Iraq
Military fears political inertia in Iraq
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: July 31 2007 23:06 | Last updated: July 31 2007 23:06
The White House nominee for top military adviser to George W. Bush warned on Tuesday that a lack of political reconciliation in Iraq could jeopardise the US being able to stabilise the country.
Admiral Michael Mullen, the current chief of naval operations who was nominated to replace General Peter Pace as chairman of the joint chiefs, said the US military “surge” was showing progress. But he warned that the Iraqi government had not taken the opportunity to implement political reconciliation.
“Based on the lack of political reconciliation at the government level...I would be concerned about whether we’d be winning or not,” Adm Mullen said during a hearing of the Senate armed services committee.
He avoided making any final judgment on whether the surge would prove successful, saying he wanted to wait for the September report by General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Baghdad.
But he said: “The surge is giving our operational commanders the forces they needed to execute more effective tactics and improve security...That is happening. Security is better. Not great, but better.”
At his confirmation hearing, senators held mixed views over the additional 30,000 troops. Most expressed concern about the lack of progress made by the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, which went into summer recess this week without passing any of the laws considered key to achieving stability.
“The Maliki government is sliding backwards and is failing in the partnership that was established as the predicate, the foundation for the surge concept of January 10,” said John Warner, one of the first Republican senators to raise concerns last year that the situation in Iraq was “moving sideways”.
While US military daily casualties increased significantly in the first few months of the surge, they have subsided since May. The US had lost 74 troops in July up to yesterday, the lowest monthly level since November last year.
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: July 31 2007 23:06 | Last updated: July 31 2007 23:06
The White House nominee for top military adviser to George W. Bush warned on Tuesday that a lack of political reconciliation in Iraq could jeopardise the US being able to stabilise the country.
Admiral Michael Mullen, the current chief of naval operations who was nominated to replace General Peter Pace as chairman of the joint chiefs, said the US military “surge” was showing progress. But he warned that the Iraqi government had not taken the opportunity to implement political reconciliation.
“Based on the lack of political reconciliation at the government level...I would be concerned about whether we’d be winning or not,” Adm Mullen said during a hearing of the Senate armed services committee.
He avoided making any final judgment on whether the surge would prove successful, saying he wanted to wait for the September report by General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Baghdad.
But he said: “The surge is giving our operational commanders the forces they needed to execute more effective tactics and improve security...That is happening. Security is better. Not great, but better.”
At his confirmation hearing, senators held mixed views over the additional 30,000 troops. Most expressed concern about the lack of progress made by the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, which went into summer recess this week without passing any of the laws considered key to achieving stability.
“The Maliki government is sliding backwards and is failing in the partnership that was established as the predicate, the foundation for the surge concept of January 10,” said John Warner, one of the first Republican senators to raise concerns last year that the situation in Iraq was “moving sideways”.
While US military daily casualties increased significantly in the first few months of the surge, they have subsided since May. The US had lost 74 troops in July up to yesterday, the lowest monthly level since November last year.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 4:07 PM
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