Congress Burns While DoD Fumes

摘要

The dispute continues in the US Congress between the Democratic Party anti-war majority and the Republican Party over US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The dispute could seriously affect US national security policies. The Democrats initially demanded immediate troop withdrawals. Their efforts were blocked by the Republican minority forcing the Democrats to revert into advocating a gradual troop pullback.rnIn September 2007, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the US Commander of the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), testifying before the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, said that the overall status of the Iraqi Armed Forces was improving to the extent that the recently-added US combat troops could start withdrawal by Summer 2008. But Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey stated: "The Army is out of balance ... the current demand for our forces exceeds the sustainable supply." He added: "Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we can build it... we cannot, at the present time, respond to a full spectrum conflict."