csua.org/u/bb2 -> www.theonion.com/news/index.php?issue=4110
Advertisement WASHINGTON, DCAlmost a year after the cessation of major combat and a mon th after the nation's first free democratic elections, President Bush un veiled the coalition forces' strategy for exiting Iraq. "I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Defense and I have formul ated a plan for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq," Bush anno unced Monday morning. Bush said the US Army, which deposed Iran's longtime enemy Saddam Husse in, should be welcomed with open arms by the Islamic-fundamentalist stat e "And Iran's so nearby," Bush said. According to White House officials, coalition air units will leave forwar d air bases in Iraq and transport munitions to undisclosed locations in Iran. After 72 to 96 hours of aerial-bomb retreats, armored-cavalry unit s will retreat across the Zagros mountains in tanks, armored personnel c arriers, and strike helicopters. The balance of the 120,000 troops will exit into the oil-rich borderlands around the Shatt-al-Arab region withi n 30 days. Pentagon sources said US Central Command has been formulating the exit plan under guidelines set by Bush. Bush Announces Iraq Exit Strategy: 'We'll Go Through Iran' "The fact is, we've accomplished our goals in Iraq," said General George Casey, the commander of coalition forces in the Iraqi theater. "Now, it' s time to bring our men and women homevia Iran." Questions have been raised about the unprecedented size of the withdrawal budget. "I'm asking Congress to approve a $187-billion budget to enable us to exi t as smoothly as possible," said Casey, whose budget request includes se veral hundred additional M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, 72 new C-130 cargo pl anes, and two brigades of artillery. "We're concerned about the safety o f our troops, so we need to have the capacity to deal with insurgent for ces all the way from the Iraqi border through to Tehran." Casey has requested a budget increase for the Pentagon, so that the gover nment can reward recruits who serve in the US mission to exit Iraq. Some of the Iranian citizens US troops will meet as they pass through I ran. Above: Some of the Iranian citizens US troops will meet as they pass th rough Iran. "The plan also includes a minor stopover for refueling and provisional re plenishment in Syria," Casey said. "But I don't expect we'll need more t han 50,000 additional troops for that stretch of the Iraq pullout." "The people who said Iraq was a quagmire and that the president would nev er get our troops out are now eating crow," said Sean Hannity on his pop ular radio show Tuesday. "Of course, I don't expect anyone will have the honor to come forward and actually admit that they were wrong to questi on our commander-in-chief." Sioux Falls, SD's Dianne Haverbuck, who has two sons in the military, sai d she was pleased to hear of the impending exit. "Don and Kenneth have already been in Iraq an extra four months, so it's so good to hear that they'll finally be leaving that dangerous place," H averbuck said. "I can't tell you how happy I was when the president said what was it? Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei welcomed the exit p lan. "I believe I can ass ure you that, if they do withdraw here, their brothers-in-arms in the Is lamic Republican Army, the Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Quds special forces units, and the Basij Popular Mobilization Army will no doubt do e verything they can to make the troops' trip back home memorable."
|
http://csua.com/feed/