Bush Says Troop Tours to be Reduced
EmailABC News’ Yunji de Nies reports: President Bush announced this morning that beginning tomorrow, US troop tours in Iraq will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months.
"The progress in Iraq has allowed us to continue our policy of return on success," the President said from the Colonnade outside the Oval Office, "We have now brought home all five of the combat brigades and the three Marine units that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge. The last of these surge brigades returned home this month."
The President gave a brief status report on the Iraq war, now in its sixth year, laying out a picture of progress.
"We are now in our third consecutive month with reduced violence levels holding steady," he said, noting that violence there is at it’s lowest level since the spring of 2004.
Mr. Bush said that the two governments are continuing to negotiate a Strategic Framework Agreement. That agreement sets the terms for US Forces in Iraq, after the United Nations mandate expires on December 31, 2008. The administration had hoped to have an agreement by July 31st, but has not met that goal.
The President warned that strategic gains are still reversible. "We remain a nation at war," he said. "Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, but the terrorists remain dangerous."
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That’s just great for our troops. Especially since many have been on the 3 or 4th tour. The administration has worn out our troops and equipment as well as supplies. Has anyone figured what the cost will be to replace all of the beat up equipment we will either bring back here or leave there? Add that to next years pentagon budget and I bet the numbers will stagger us.
Posted by: Ralph | July 31, 2008, 9:34 am 9:34 am
My question is why does any President make these micromanagement decisions??? A President is supposed to provide the military with their objectives not tell them specifics how to achieve them. Only an active military commander has the information and knowledge to make these decisions not the President as he is too far up the chain of command. This guy may think he is Rommel but is more akin to Private Snafu!!!
Posted by: Ray Fisher | July 31, 2008, 9:43 am 9:43 am
The Bush administration’s brutal criminal enterprise in Iraq is progressing.
Posted by: TonyfromMinn | July 31, 2008, 9:45 am 9:45 am
TonyfromMinn, please get your mommy to change the stained-with-pee mattress cover on your bed.
Posted by: Jeff Davis | July 31, 2008, 9:58 am 9:58 am
This war was illegal in the very first place and he knows it. He went in there just because of the oil and that is a fact.
But now that we are there I am so glad that we are starting to bring them home. As Ralph said some of these troups are on their third and fourth time there and they are beyond tired and so it way past time and I am sure the equipment is getting more and more beaten up.
THANK GOD THEY ARE COMING HOME BACK TO SAFETY AND FAMILY.
MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE SENT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO PROTECT US ALL NOW AND FOREVER AS I AM SURE HE WILL!!!
Posted by: Carol | July 31, 2008, 10:06 am 10:06 am
Like Bush said, it is reversible and you can be sure that Bush the bumbling idiot will be the one to botch things up so they are reversed….I know of no “Democratic” country in the world short of a dictatorship that would allow one man so much power to screw things up again and again and again.
Posted by: CC | July 31, 2008, 10:07 am 10:07 am
Ralph: there is an interesting book titled The Three Trillion Dollar War that outlines the many hidden costs we will incur as a result of this war including equipment replacement. it’s a very interesting read and certainly eye opening.
Posted by: Tyler | July 31, 2008, 10:09 am 10:09 am
While I won’t be voting for Obama for President, the recent actions by the White House of reducing troops and helping homeowners to prevent foreclosure of their homes are just Republican gimmicks to look nice to help McCain in November. The republicans are not this nice!!!
Posted by: tom | July 31, 2008, 10:21 am 10:21 am
One reason the surge worked is the US democrats threatened to pull out and the sectarian factions came to realize they better get it together. A wake up call. McCain deserves credit, but it still does not make up for the poor judgment on the War overall and voting with Bush 95% of the time. OBAMA 2008!!
Posted by: Tom | July 31, 2008, 10:28 am 10:28 am
See what you really don’t see is as of last. Ive heard from some active duty couterparts is that the army has just started to go to 18 month deployment from the 1 year tours. The reasons given to soldiers is that during the first 3 month and last 3 month of a deployment are the most deadly for any unit because they are first picking up a new mission and then they are so happy to be going home they get a little lacksidasicle.
And for you people who think the best course of action is just to pull out the troops just stop and think. What will happen if we leave? Well I’ll tell you those kids over there whose parents we’ve detained or parents have died yes im talking about iraqi citizens will grow thier resentment towards us and one of them will become the next osama,or sadam, or any other historical terror inflicting indivdual. we need to stay and rebuild Iraq for there future and ours. It is the next Korea
Posted by: Justin | July 31, 2008, 10:29 am 10:29 am
It’s about time the White House listen to what Americans have been saying for months.
Time for grumpy old man McCain to claim he was the one pushing this. Ever since McCain began this presidential campaign, he’s been saying we can’t withdraw troops or we’ll lose Iraq. But McCain loves to claim he was the one that is right and he was a visionary (even if it’s only in his mind).
Maybe it’s time for McCain to take a rest at 1 of the 8 houses he owns. One of the beach front houses worth over $2 million each would be a good place. Then, he and Cindy could go on one of their typical shopping trips where they run up their monthly credit card bills over $500,000.
Posted by: Dan | July 31, 2008, 10:30 am 10:30 am
Welcome back to the real world from Bush’s fantasy world.
Whne Obama becomes President you’ll be deployed to fight AMERICA’s war on terror instead of Bush’s personal fantasy war in Iraq.
Posted by: Republican For Obama | July 31, 2008, 10:38 am 10:38 am
Folks, what progress is this war monger talking about. The fact that there are only fewer people left to continue to kill doesn’t mean progress. It simply means the Americans have caused manslaughter at an unprecedented level that there are no more to kill in thousands. Face it, in a group with a hundred you kill sixty the remainder thirty five is not progress but exactly the remainder you can’t keep killing lest you are like the Aussies back then on Aborigines. So Bush you are a totally isane mass murderer who God is waiting to roast on your death day!!
Posted by: dakovedu | July 31, 2008, 10:48 am 10:48 am
Jeff Davis, Keep your ridiculously stupid comments to yourself, or save them for the next KKK meeting you attend.
Posted by: Mary | July 31, 2008, 10:50 am 10:50 am
It saddens me to read the above comments with such short-sighted and narrow viewpoints. To liberate a country from horrible conditions and fight back an even more terrorist front, these coalition forces have achieved a magnificent goal and have paved a way of great hope for the Iraqi people. Just think how much easier this could have done if the Democrats and liberal whiners could have at least expressed unity in this great fight against those aiming to bring great harm. Instead, all we still hear is trivial bloviating. It makes me sick in my gut to have to live around all you whiners.
Posted by: Loodle | July 31, 2008, 10:53 am 10:53 am
This is just a last minute effort to steal the thunder from Obama. He knows we are getting out of Iraq in January anyway when Obama is sworn in. So, what better to do than try and get credit for himself. What a disgrace. And you call that leadership. What has this man been doing the last 71/2 years? I’ll tell you. Sucking up all the wealth he could before he leaves office. Just look at the huge profits the drug companies and oil companies(primary donors to his campaign) have made since Bush too office. Now he wants to try and convience you that he means the country well by bringing our troops home. What a joke!
Posted by: William | July 31, 2008, 10:59 am 10:59 am
Loodle, the Iraqi people NEVER asked, NEVER wanted, NEVER requested Bush to immorally and illegally invade THEIR country.
If the Iraqi people want liberation they should been allowed to fight for it THEMSELVES.
All Bush needed to ‘liberate’ Iraq was to form a commando unit of the CIA and Iraqi dissidents to topple Hussein, not 150K of our troops that Bush has killed over 4k.
Want to believe in fantasy, go to bootcamp and live in Iraq. Your propaganda for Bush is not wanted nor needed.
Posted by: Republican For Obama | July 31, 2008, 11:06 am 11:06 am
To all Bush haters and Obama Lovers:
Are you guys jealous of the success
under General Betraeus as MoveOn called
him? America will be victorious, and the General will lead our troops back in triumph, and will become the
Predsident like Eisenhower did. Bush
will be remembered as a President with
vision, principle and courage. Go
McCain, Go. Win this one for us.
Posted by: micc | July 31, 2008, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
I’m just wondering since I am a Soldier here in Iraq on a 15 month deployment currently, how is that going to effect me and my unit. Are we leave early? Or are we still going to be here for 15 months?
Posted by: A Soldier | July 31, 2008, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
Wow 4,000 deaths that sucks 4,000 trained equiped deaths
let’s compare that to the morons shooting up the united states
oh yea what war there just having a party there in iraq?
Posted by: pvt snuffy | July 31, 2008, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Better yet, how about we reduce it to no months. Bring our troops home now.
Posted by: cocacola_hater08 | July 31, 2008, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
The surge worked, I had no doubt knowing the capabilities of the troops despite being led by a village idiot. I feel the surge was simply bringing troop levels to where they should had been from the start had Georgie listened to his commanders!!! Now he wants to celebrate after working his troops past the breaking point. Georgie will be remembered as a village idiot forever yet our troops will be remembered as the best ever having dealt with this moron for the duration!!!
Posted by: Ray Fisher | July 31, 2008, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
Election in november, and now things begin to change in iraq. The white house is in complete manipulation ( chess game ) there in iraq. Don’t worry, they have plans for more war. I’m about ready to stick my head in the sand like the rest of business criminals , sheeple , and the my life is ok and safe here in Mason, Michigan so i’ll go around with blinders on and wear a guilty look on my face people.
Posted by: chris | July 31, 2008, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
as always on ABC, reading the inane drivel in the comments after the story, I feel less intelligent for having read them.
Posted by: Todd Gerritzen USMC | July 31, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
Ugh, isn’t this idiot gone yet?? Only a few more months… just a few more months…
Go away already, you weaseley squinty-eyed jerk!
Posted by: Mina | July 31, 2008, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
as a soldiers wife who has a husband currently serving a 15 month tour in Iraq, does this mean he will come home in 12 months or that those who are getting ready to deploy will only serve 12 months over?
Posted by: jamie | July 31, 2008, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
Bush makes plans?
Posted by: Mr Stevens | July 31, 2008, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
Iraq should of freed themselves? Just like America did? I guess everyone forget that fact that we had military aide from the French during our revolution, and there were 13 FUNCTIONING colonies that had leadership and could posses and make weapons and was fighting and enemy that had to come from across the sea.
But yeah, those Iraqis should of done it all by themselves if they really wanted freedom right? Lets not forget that all the weapons and food were controlled by the baath party in every Iraqi town, for those of you who were not there or never bothered to actually look at the facts before you jumped on board the anti-war bandwagon.
4000 Americans dead, but no one seems to care about the 17,000 Americans that die EVERY YEAR from drunk drivers for NO REASON. And more than that just from other accidents. Lets not forget that these soldiers are voluntarily re-enlisting 3 or 4 times (in infantry units) to go back on deployment.
But I guess for all of you humanitarians, its okay to leave 50 million people under an awful dictatorship as long as some Americans don’t die.
To cite American losses as a reason to pull out or that we should not of been there in the first place betrays a staggering lack of understanding of the situation and progress in Iraq.
70% of all military operations are now performed by Iraqis.
Posted by: Armando | July 31, 2008, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
“Troop Tours to be Reduced”
Come on.
This guy uses our troops for political propaganda.
Posted by: newz4i | July 31, 2008, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
Armando is one of 3 people who has said anything that even sounded like they had done more than at like the sheep the american public is accused of being
Posted by: mh | July 31, 2008, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Send Bushco with all his family
to Iraq together with all this f….n
congress
Posted by: ng | July 31, 2008, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
As the proud mom of a Marine who recently came home after proud service in Iraq, I think it is relevant to say something I heard from my son.
The Iraqis, unlike us, lived under an extreme dictatorship for decades–their fighting spirit had been squelched by an oppressive dictator. Our presence is helping the Iraqi people to come into their own–so to speak.
I personally disagree with the way we entered the Iraqi war–I do believe the deception the US citizens suffered was unnecessary. However, our troops are in Iraq and doing a PHENOMENAL job in less than agreeable conditions. Those brave men and women–our children and the parents of the generation now being born–are dedicated to their jobs and doing one HECK of a job. They deserve our respect and our loyalty–not a bunch of rhetorical BS.
I would hate to see our troops returning now to face the same conditions our returning VietNam war veterans faced in the political arena.
These men and women are doing the job they are trained to do and doing it well. If nothing else results from my post I want them to know that I am proud of their service and their sacrifice. And I am proud of their families for their support of not only their family members but also for their support of other families in their situation.
For all of those political bleeding hearts out there–there is a little more to this war situation than theory and opinion–there are real humans out there doing a job that quite frankly I wonder if they would be up to doing if action was required of them.
I’m proud of my son and the men and women who served with him. And I am not afraid to say so. They lost a member of their company during this deployment–we know about casualties–however the man who gave his life was a dedicated Marine who was also dedicated to the people he served with in a foreign land.
I am off my soap box. Thank you for listening.
Posted by: linda | July 31, 2008, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
Maybe he will do what Hitler did at the end or he needs to tried at The Hague for Genocide.
Posted by: JM | July 31, 2008, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
This probably means a qicker turn around to go bsck.
Posted by: Lee S. | July 31, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
This is not news. Our son is a career soldier who returned from a 15 month tour in late January 2008. His unit is scheduled to go back for a 12 tour starting February 2009. Our soldiers have known for months that tours were being reduced from 15 to 12 months. So, I say again – This is not news.
Posted by: Johnny | July 31, 2008, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
Why do Republicans hate our troops? Money from oil that’s right. They all get richer while the rest of us stay poor and continue to get poorer since they are making our currency worth sh!t!
Posted by: jstilabo | August 1, 2008, 9:39 am 9:39 am
oooo poor, poor jstilabo…waaahhhh…
Posted by: Jazz | August 1, 2008, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
You know this is great for those going over there now. But it sucks for those of us who’s soldiers went over there already 11 mos ago on a 15 mos tour. OUR soldiers don’t get a break and we the families don’t get a break and get to have our loved one come back home!!! If the President really wanted to do something good for his troops, he’d start sending those troops home that’ve been there closest to their 15-12 mo end of their deployments. Then he’d get more support from the families back home.
I mean I’m happy that in the future, the troops will only have to serve 12 mos, SOMEONE needs to think about the troops already there. And give them a break and send them home already.
Posted by: Lori | August 2, 2008, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
obama is only going to pull our troops out of iraq for a few months before placing them in iran for the new war on the horizon….
not to be a downer or rain on anyone’s parade, but war with iran is imminent!!
Posted by: jwatts | August 3, 2008, 4:28 am 4:28 am
Statement for Tom! I’ve done two tours in Iraq and my wife is on her second tour as we speak. Have you lost any friends in Iraq due to enemy fire? Our troops have done an outstanding job in Iraq and it’s time to come home. I hope that Obama pulls out the troops because with ot without troop presence in Iraq, there is still going to be an ongoing religious war. Our troops need to be home to support OUR country and refocusing on their families.
Posted by: Corey | August 3, 2008, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm