Military
and Veterans News
Compiled by
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BUSH SAYS
HE HAS NO DOUBTS ABOUT WAR IN IRAQ DESPITE 'HIGH COST IN LIVES
AND TREASURE'
WASHINGTON (AP)
- President Bush says he has no doubts about launching the unpopular
war in Iraq despite the "high cost in lives and treasure,"
arguing that retreat now would embolden Iran and provide al-Qaida
with money for weapons of mass destruction to attack the United
States.
Bush is to mark
the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Wednesday
with a speech at the Pentagon. Excerpts of his address were released
Tuesday night by the White House.
At least 3,990
members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of
the war in 2003. It has cost taxpayers about $500 billion and
estimates of the final tab run far higher. Nobel Prize-winning
economist Joseph E. Stiglizt and Harvard University public finance
expert Linda Bilmes have estimated the eventual cost at $3 trillion
when all the expenses, including long-term care for veterans,
are calculated.
Democrats offered
a different view from Bush's.
"On this
grim milestone, it is worth remembering how we got into this
situation, and thinking about how best we can get out,"
said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. "The tasks that remain in
Iraq - to bring an end to sectarian conflict, to devise a way
to share political power, and to create a functioning government
that is capable of providing for the needs of the Iraqi people
are tasks that only the Iraqis can complete."
In his remarks,
Bush repeated his oft-stated determination to prosecute the war
into the unforeseen future.
"The successes
we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable, yet some in Washington
still call for retreat," the president said. "War critics
can no longer credibly argue that we are losing in Iraq, so now
they argue the war costs too much. In recent months, we have
heard exaggerated estimates of the costs of this war.
"No one
would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives
and treasure, but those costs are necessary when we consider
the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq,"
Bush said.
Bush has successfully
defied efforts by the Democratic-led Congress to force troop
withdrawals or set deadlines for pullouts. It is widely believed
he will endorse a recommendation from Gen. David Petraeus, the
top U.S. commander in Iraq, for no additional troop reductions,
beyond those already planned, until at least September.
The U.S. now
has about 158,000 troops in Iraq. That number is expected to
drop to 140,000 by summer in drawdowns meant to erase all but
about 8,000 troops from last year's buildup.
MILITARY BEEFING
UP EFFORTS AND IMPROVING RELATIONS
WASHINGTON (AP)
- The military is beefing up efforts to gather intelligence,
fend off cyber-attacks and improve relations with other nations
as part of a strategy for keeping the U.S. safe while fighting
two wars, according to a Pentagon document.
The four-page
plan acknowledges there is still a significant risk that the
military cannot quickly and fully respond to another outbreak
in the world and outlines what must be done to counter that threat.
Sent to Congress
by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and obtained by The Associated
Press, the plan relies heavily on building partnerships with
other countries. It accompanied a classified risk assessment
compiled by Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff.
"The most
important component in the 'long war' is not the fighting we
do ourselves, but how well we help our partners defend and govern
themselves," Gates said in the plan. The term "long
war" refers to the global war against terrorism.
That would include
providing more disaster relief around the globe to improve "the
positive worldwide perception of the United States," he
said.
Mullen's risk
assessment, as reported by the AP last month, concluded that
long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with persistent
terrorist activity and other threats, have prevented the U.S.
military from improving its ability to respond to any new crisis.
Gates echoed
that sentiment, saying the greatest challenges to U.S. security
continue to be terrorism, regional instability and the possibility
that a hostile nation or other extremist group acquires a weapon
of mass destruction.
His use of the
term "long war" marks a rebirth for the phrase, which
was coined by Gen. John Abizaid, when he led U.S. Central Command,
and was aimed at conveying the lengthy struggle the U.S. must
wage against Islamic extremists.
Abizaid's replacement,
Navy Adm. William Fallon, ditched the phrase last year after
he took over because he thought it suggested the U.S. would keep
a large military presence in the Middle East indefinitely. Fallon,
however, abruptly announced his resignation last week.
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