Good News

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army’s chief of staff, said yesterday he hopes to shorten the 15-month tours in Iraq and Afghanistan this summer. The move would end a policy, required by the buildup of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq last year, that has placed significant stress on soldiers and their families.


Naturally, this decision is based on the assumption that progress will continue in the country.

Casey suggested that the withdrawal from Iraq of five U.S. Army combat brigades by July could allow soldiers once again to deploy for 12 months and then spend a year at home, although he cautioned that a decision will depend on conditions in Iraq.

So, this is where the naysayers in this country need to set aside their differences and jump on board the success train. By continuing to degrade and downplay the successes we’re achieving in Iraq, they only seek to prolong the very deployments they are trying to end. By jumping on board the terrorists will start to think that their pursuit is pointless now that the entire country is behind them (don’t worry, CF. I realize that you’re already too far gone and invested in defeat that this is too bitter a pill to swallow for you. After all, if the troops come home what will you have to complain about? I guess you always resort to your “Bush is evil” mantra.)

Casey’s remarks could reflect an optimism shared by other senior military officials that the U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq announced last fall — with five Army combat brigades scheduled to leave by July — will continue apace after the summer. U.S. commanders in Iraq have begun planning for the possibility of a further reduction of another five brigades by the end of the year, with a recommendation on the drawdown expected this spring from Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.