Wednesday, December 13, 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has decided the general direction he wants to take U.S. policy on Iraq and has asked his staff to work out the details as he wraps up a highly public review of the war and its aims.
Having met with military commanders Tuesday, Bush scheduled a session Wednesday with senior defense officials at the Pentagon.
Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, and Gen. George Casey, the leading general in Iraq, want more armored vehicles, body armor and other critical equipment for the Iraqis, said a defense specialist familiar with the meetings, who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.
The message to Bush, the defense specialist said, is that the United States cannot withdraw a substantial number of combat troops by early 2008, as suggested in the Iraq Study Group report, because the Iraqis will not be ready to assume control of their country. Bush is delaying making public his new Iraq policy plan in part to allow officials to work out the funding, he said.
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