男友太凶猛1v1高h,大地资源在线资源免费观看 ,人妻少妇精品视频二区,极度sm残忍bdsm变态

   

Gates: US not planning Iran war

(AP)
Updated: 2007-02-03 11:41

ASHINGTON - The extra troops that Iraq promised to send into Baghdad in a new US-Iraqi military buildup are arriving on schedule but in inadequate numbers, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.


Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, gestures during a news conference at the Pentagon Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. [AP]
Gates was asked at a news conference about Senate testimony on Thursday by the outgoing US commander in Baghdad, Gen. George Casey, who said the arriving Iraqi units have only 55 to 65 percent of their intended troops.

"Fifty-five percent probably isn't good enough," Gates said, but he left open the possibility that by the time the Baghdad crackdown begins in earnest the Iraqi combat units will be at full strength.

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sat beside Gates in fielding questions at the Pentagon, estimated that the arriving Iraqi units are at about 60 percent of their assigned strength.

"It needs to be stronger than that," Pace said.

Administration officials have said they expect Iraq to meet the pledges it made, as the troop buildup proceeds, but they have not said explicitly what would happen if the Iraqis fall substantially short on troop contributions.

"Partly it will depend on how quickly they get back up to strength," Gates said.

The defense secretary has publicly held out the possibility of slowing or stopping the flow of additional US troops if the Iraqis fall short, as they have in the past; the Pentagon has announced plans to send five additional Army brigades, totaling 17,500 troops, to Baghdad by May. In addition, about 4,000 Marines are to be sent to western Anbar province.

At his news conference, Gates also said that the decision announced in January to send a second US aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region does not mean the United States is planning for a war with Iran. He said the purpose was to underscore to US allies as well as potential adversaries that the Gulf is a vital interest to the United States.
12  


Top World News  
Today's Top News  
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
主站蜘蛛池模板: 梁河县| 全椒县| 桐柏县| 扬中市| 云林县| 惠水县| 邳州市| 开平市| 葵青区| 达拉特旗| 天气| 射洪县| 大新县| 高清| 定安县| 墨脱县| 高尔夫| 华阴市| 定兴县| 沧州市| 长岭县| 平湖市| 三门峡市| 鄂托克前旗| 喜德县| 平塘县| 五大连池市| 右玉县| 武定县| 诸暨市| 扎囊县| 南平市| 泾源县| 旬阳县| 武陟县| 离岛区| 保靖县| 曲周县| 宾川县| 天津市| 浦东新区|