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Joint Chiefs Chair Warns Obama & Clinton on Iraq
February 28, 2008 5:47 PM
ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: The Joint Chiefs chairman has a word of warning to Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: A rapid of withdrawal from Iraq would lead to a "chaotic situation" and would "turnaround the gains we have achieved, and struggled to achieve, and turn them around overnight.
Admiral Mullen's comments came in a response to a question about what the Joint Chiefs are doing to prepare for a new president, given that two of the candidates have called for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.
"We need to be prepared across the board for what a new president will bring," Mullen said. "I do worry about a rapid withdrawal. . . [that would] turn around the gains we have achieved and struggled to achieve and turn them around overnight."
Asked to define a "rapid withdrawal," Mullen said, "a withdrawal that would be so fast that it would leave us in a chaotic situation and the gains we have achieved would be lost."
That said, Mullen added: "When a new president comes in, I will get my orders and I will carry them out."
Mullen, of course, will still be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the next president is sworn in. His term goes until September 2009 and could be renewed for another two years after that.
Mullen, however, also made it clear that the large commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq is coming at a steep price.
He said that another 3,000 to 4,000 trainers are needed in Afghanistan. But those trainers cannot be sent, he said, until there are further drawdowns in Iraq. There simply aren't enough available troops.
"We'd like to get those trainers out there as fast as we can," he said. "Clearly in Afghanistan the training mission is at the top . . . we need more trainers than we need anything else. . . Clearly it will take forces drawing down in Iraq to provide the headroom to meet that mission."
February 28, 2008 in Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (208)
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McCain/Rumsfeld in 08
Experience to Die For. Let's keep fighting. Withdrawing from Iraq = surrender. Iraq will be stable and safe in no time. Hang in there another decade folks. 12 billion per month spent in Iraq is not needed in America.The Bush economy is doing fine. We need more tax cuts, but, this time, let's make them for the even-richer.
Iraq = good. Question it and you are a traitor. McCain/Rumsfeld. What me worry?
Posted by: Billy Smith | Feb 28, 2008 6:47:08 PM
Chaos if we pull out? There's chaos NOW! The "surge" wasn't exactly working last Sunday when another 56 innocent Iraqi's were killed because Bush and Cheney lied us into a war. THE NEOCONS CREATED THE CHAOS. THEY were warned and warned and warned NOT to attempt to take Baghdad with less than 450,000 troops. The FULL blame for this insiduous war is BUSH AND HIS LYING VP AND RUMSFELD AND RICE. We won't get fooled again!
Posted by: eric | Feb 28, 2008 6:47:42 PM
i'm sure Clinton will get us out of Iraq in a timely fashion and help the Iraqi's return to their country and build a great nation..
Posted by: emmy | Feb 28, 2008 6:50:07 PM
So what? Let Iraq deal with its own shiz-it. Let's spend our $265 Million per day in another way, or better yet, stop borrowing the same $265 Million per day from Communist China and Saudi Arabia, home of the murderers of 9-11. If they want U.S. miltary, let them pay for Blackwater directly, instead of the American taxpayers paying for Blackwater.
Posted by: Frank | Feb 28, 2008 6:50:38 PM
AJ
...and we thought that was Obama...lol
Posted by: J | Feb 28, 2008 6:50:57 PM
Obama - Farrakhan 08!
No need to worry - McCain will defeat either one of the Democraps ..
Posted by: Bruce | Feb 28, 2008 6:53:30 PM
I would think that the Admirals tone will change once a new administration is in place. The current one is very vindictive and has no problems tossing out career officers who's assessment of the situation runs counter to W's view.
Posted by: Russ G | Feb 28, 2008 6:53:57 PM
If they are truly a good people and are employed to succeed Jesus Christ then god will protect them if not let the cards fall where they may;/
There are issues far greater here than there"
Posted by: richard sievert | Feb 28, 2008 6:55:49 PM
It would be preferable and more appropriate if the current president kept out of the election frivia, and gracefully leave office.
Posted by: Uretha | Feb 28, 2008 6:56:08 PM
It is time to come home and start taking care of our own, it makes no difference how long we are there or how fast we start pulling back, they will go right back to fighting each other and someone like Sadam will be right back in power.
The military knows the U.S. is not trained nor can we fight Urban warfare. Our Military is designed to Destroy everything in its path and then start over. We are not Policemen.
Politicians need to wake up, War is an extension of what they cannot handle, when our Military is called on, we need to quit sacrificing our troops, and use our High Tech Firepower.
Posted by: pathlo | Feb 28, 2008 6:57:26 PM
Hillary is the only one who said 60 days. Barack was a lot more realistic and said that with gradualy withdrawal over the course of a few years after careful CONSIDERATION of the stability. Hillary is the I WANT THEM OUT NOW crazy person. Barack is the let's take it ONE STEP AT A TIME, and WE CANNOT JUST START PULLING OUT TROOPS WITHOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE AMERICAN CIVILIANS in Iraq are protected. Barack is careful and thorough. Hillary is crazy lady.
Posted by: Angie | Feb 28, 2008 6:57:32 PM
This is only to be expected from an admnistration that lied its way into office and into an Iraq war that is ruining our economy and taking resources away from the real "war on terror."
As others have said, the Joint Chiefs will be singing a different tune come January 2009, as they can't speak freely under Bush! Heckuvajob Admiral Mullen!!!
Posted by: Jackt51 | Feb 28, 2008 6:59:50 PM
OF COURSE there will be chaos... but let me remind this silly right wing that THEY should have KNOWN THIS BEFORE they charged in WITHOUT A PLAN! This entire invasion was STUPID and ILL THOUGHT! It should have NEVER been necessary to topple an entire nation! The blood of hundreds of thousands are on the very hands that now scream that chaos will prevail if we pull out! HYPOCRITES!
Posted by: RW | Feb 28, 2008 7:00:08 PM
Admiral Mullen needs to be replaced IMMEDIATELY! He lacks vision and knowledge of history.
SUNNI & SHIA MUSLIMS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO FIGHT EACH OTHER.
Maniac muslims (shia and sunni) have been fighting each other for 1400 years.
So unless American can afford the lives, limbs, mental health and more trillions of dollars to KEEP SUNNI & SHIA APART, we need to GET THE HELL OUT OF IRAQ NOW!
If troops (notice the deceptive 'trainers'?) are needed in Afghanistan to deal with the maniac muslims of 911, THAT IS WHERE AMEIRCAN TROOPS SHOULD BE!
Sunnis will be too busy fighting Shia in Iraq to be concerned with striking other countries out of the area.
Posted by: New Yorker | Feb 28, 2008 7:01:34 PM
The neocons have done their focus groups and have found that, above all else, people TRUST Obama. So, get ready for anything and everything including the kitchen sink to be thrown at his TRUST. "You can't trust him." Oh really? But we CAN trust Bush and McBush? Give me a break! Neocons, you are on your way OUT. Wait and c!
Posted by: rick | Feb 28, 2008 7:02:47 PM
You cannot gain honor from a dishonorable war. NEVER trust a government that doesn't trust you.
Posted by: don | Feb 28, 2008 7:12:41 PM
So what if Iraq is in Chaos. Neo-cons loved the specious argument that it is better to fight 'them' over there than here. By that logic it would be even better for 'them' to fight each other over there without America spending our children's money and sacrificing American lives and destroying American families doing so.
Posted by: Sean | Feb 28, 2008 7:13:15 PM
Okay, let there be chaos. Sixty percent of americans want us out of Irag. Its not our country to worry about anyway. Having spent trillions of dollars already to protect the republicans egos and oil company profits is enough. All the republicans who elected Bush into office should split the bill for bankrupting our country. I would rather be a liberal who gives too much to the poor than a republican who invades soveriegn countrys for profits.
Posted by: Joe | Feb 28, 2008 7:13:29 PM
HOW MUCH BENEFIT HAVE AMERICANS REAPED FROM THE IRAQ WAR? LOL
HOW MUCH HAS THE IRAQ WAR COSTS?
McCain does not know economics, does not know COST vs BENEFITS ANALYSIS!
And McCain does not care about cost of war vs benefit of Iraq war because McCain is a warmonger.
Warmongers CAN NEVER envision non-violent solutions to problems; because they are too addicted to violence!
Babylonians have been building societies while Europeans were still cave dwellers.
So the Iraqi people WILL manage!
All the Iraq war is doing for Americans IS TO COST US!
We can stay in Iraq until we are flat broke; or WE CAN CUT OUR LOST NOW!
There will never ever be any benefit for Americans from the Iraq war.
And the 'honor' of American troops is in doing what has been asked of them.
Posted by: New Yorker | Feb 28, 2008 7:14:23 PM
BULL. Get us out of there. They are breaking the Treasury. Stop these insane generals, or better yet, if they want to stay, let them pay for it.
Posted by: 4cryingoutloud | Feb 28, 2008 7:16:47 PM
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