Richard Tafoya
Sep 24th, 2006, 01:48 PM
AP:
http://dailynews.com/news/ci_4364949
The U.S. military is likely to maintain and may even increase its force of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring, the top American commander in the region said Tuesday in one of the gloomiest assessments yet of when troops may come home.
Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed.
"If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," Abizaid said. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it."
His comments came as violence around Iraq killed at least 16 civilians on Tuesday and wounded dozens of others. Iraqi lawmakers angered by the relentless violence demanded that the defense and interior ministers appear before parliament to explain what they are doing to eliminate the death squads that have claimed hundreds of Iraqi lives.
Still, his blunt assessment was the first time officials confirmed that higher troops levels would continue into next year - and it came as U.S. political leaders heading into November's congressional elections face declining public support for the war in Iraq.
Abizaid, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace are expected to meet with members of Congress later this week.
http://dailynews.com/news/ci_4364949
The U.S. military is likely to maintain and may even increase its force of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring, the top American commander in the region said Tuesday in one of the gloomiest assessments yet of when troops may come home.
Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed.
"If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," Abizaid said. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it."
His comments came as violence around Iraq killed at least 16 civilians on Tuesday and wounded dozens of others. Iraqi lawmakers angered by the relentless violence demanded that the defense and interior ministers appear before parliament to explain what they are doing to eliminate the death squads that have claimed hundreds of Iraqi lives.
Still, his blunt assessment was the first time officials confirmed that higher troops levels would continue into next year - and it came as U.S. political leaders heading into November's congressional elections face declining public support for the war in Iraq.
Abizaid, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace are expected to meet with members of Congress later this week.