Talking Points: Lame Duck President

Is Bush’s surge working? Will it provide long-term stability in Iraq?

State of the Union Address:

Bush claimed that the surge is working to quell violence in Iraq, largely due to the 30,000 troops added to the forces already in Iraq in the beginning of 2007
Bush urged Americans to stay the course in Iraq, that there has been progress.
Senior U.S. military commanders in Baghdad want to freeze troop reductions starting in July to be sure any stability gained by the surge is not lost.
5,000 troops are leaving every month. In July, troop levels will be brought back down to pre-surge levels.

"Bush Wary of Jeopardizing Iraq Gains" (Associated Press, Deb Riechman 2/1/08)

Senior U.S. military commanders in Baghdad want to freeze troop reductions starting in July to be sure any stability gained by the surge is not lost

5,000 troops are leaving every month. In July, troop levels will be brought back down to pre-surge levels.

Long and repeated tours of duty away from home are contributing significantly to the rate of suicide among soldiers because they weigh heavily on family relationships and compound other employment, legal and financial problems.
Pentagon extended the tours last year from 12 to 15 months and has sent some troops back to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan several times.
Depending on what General Petraeus and other military officials recommend in their assessment of security in Iraq and troop needs, the Army is hoping to cut tours back down to 12 months to ease the strain on soldiers’ lives.
"Until they come to grips with how long and frequent deployments are straining soldiers and shattering lives we will continue to see this frightening trend," U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"Halting the modest reduction in US surge troop levels that has been underway in Iraq demonstrates the president's insistence on a war without end and will further undermine our military readiness," Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi

"Crocker: Iraq Needs US Troops Until 2009" (Associated Press, 2/1/08)

"Army Suicides, Attempts Rise Again" (Associated Press, Pauline Jelinek, 1/31/08)

(Agence France-Presse, 2/1/08)

Signing Statement: The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008

Bush signed the act, but in doing so issued a signing statement that he did not agree to the following because it is an infringement on the Constitutional rights of the Presidency

prohibit the administration from establishing permanent bases in Iraq or controlling Iraqi oil resources
establish a congressional commission to review military contracts in Iraq
protect contractor whistle-blowers
put a 45-day deadline on U.S. intelligence agencies to respond to information requests from Congress' committees on intelligence and armed services

"Bush's Hedge on Bill renews debate over 'signing statements'" (Maura Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 2/108)

WEB RESOURCES: Lame Duck President - lame duck war?

More Coverage:

"Women Bombers in Iraq" (Associated Press, 2/1/08)

"Ambassador: Al Qaida Using New Tactics" (Matthew Lee and Anne Gearan, Associated Press, 2/1/08)

"Pause in Iraq troop drawdown looks likely" (William H. McMichael, Army Times, 2/1/08)

"Bomb Explodes Near U.S. Patrol in Iraq" (Richard A. Oppel, Jr., New York Times, 1/30/08)

"Iraqi Troops Mass for Operation in Mosul" (Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times, 1/31/08)

"Violence Draws Veil Over Iraqi Women" (Dahr Jamail and Ahmed Ali, Inter Press Service, 2/1/08)
"U.S. the 'Biggest Producer of Terror'" (Dahr Jamail and Ahmed Ali, Inter Press Service, 1/28/08)
"Rift Grows Between Iraqi Army and U.S.-Backed Militias" (Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily, Inter Press Service, 1/25/08)
"Iraq: Less Violent But Not Less Hellish" (Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily, Inter Press Service, 1/15/08)
More Articles by Dahr Jamail

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