Paper asserts Bush, Blair were to announce troop reductions

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday May 31, 2006

Signals reductions made unlikely by violence

A Los Angeles Times article Wednesday assesses the situation in Iraq, asserting that hopes for an Iraq pullout are fading -- and reports that British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush postponed a planned announcement of troop reductions in Iraq.

The report is the first to confirm a RAW STORY report May 22 which said that Bush and Blair were expected to announce a "phased withdrawal" plan which would cut US forces in Iraq by 30,000 and nearly halve British troops.

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair hinted at that realization last week when, after a meeting with Casey, he said he expected insurgents to "test" the new Iraqi government "very, very strongly" in coming months," the LA Times Louise Roug and Peter Spiegel report. "Blair and President Bush, meeting at the White House last week, postponed an anticipated announcement on troop reduction."

The LA Times reports that resurgent violence in Iraq has dimmed the prospect of significant troop reductions.

"The Pentagon's hopes of making substantial reductions in U.S. troop levels in Iraq this year appear to be fading as a result of resurgent violence in the country, particularly in the Sunni Arab stronghold of Al Anbar province, military officials acknowledge."

The US announced Tuesday that it would move 1,500 "backup" troops from Kuwait to Al Anbar, in Western Iraq.

"Publicly," the LA Times writers write, "Pentagon officials insisted Tuesday that the move was temporary and unrelated to Casey's much-delayed recommendation on overall troop levels, now expected to be made next month. But other officers have privately acknowledged that the worsening situation in Al Anbar — particularly in Ramadi, which U.S. officials say is now under insurgent control — is likely to prevent any significant drawdown this year."

"Since the beginning of the year, military commanders have said that progress in forming a government and training the Iraqi military might allow U.S. troop levels to be reduced from more than 130,000 to 100,000 or fewer. But a senior officer privy to Iraq planning discussions, who requested anonymity when discussing internal Pentagon debates, said there was "a growing realization" that ongoing violence was hampering withdrawal plans."

RAW STORY's report last week revealed a "carefully choreographed" plan between the US and Britain to begin substantial troop reductions, suggesting that the phased withdrawal measure was aimed at stemming Bush and Blair's hemorrhaging poll numbers.

"The process has already been carefully choreographed in an attempt to bolster the popularity of both Bush and Blair who have suffered domestically for their handling of the war," Raw's Michael Smith wrote. "The scope of the phased withdrawal, which will see the 133,000 US force levels cut to around 100,000 by the end of the year and British numbers almost halved, has already been agreed, one senior defence source said."

Now it seems such reductions are unlikely, unless US and Iraqi forces are able to ameliorate sectarian tension. A Pentagon report Tuesday painted a grim picture of the Iraq conflict, saying that the US expects a "steady" insurgency at least through the end of 2007.

READ THE LA TIMES REPORT.

READ RAW STORY'S ORIGINAL REPORT.