The Gates Timetable?
Robert Gates warned the Iraq government that they have to make progress on political reconciliation by this summer or he may pull American troops out of the security plan for Baghdad. Sounding a tone that one normally associates with war critics, he said that the Iraqi National Assembly had to pass key legislation quickly, as the surge will only buy them a limited amount of time in which to accomplish their goals:
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, unsatisfied with the pace of political reconciliation in Iraq, laid down an implicit deadline Friday by urging Iraqi leaders to pass key laws by summer while repeating his warning that U.S. troops will not patrol Iraqi streets indefinitely.Gates also described as "mixed" the results of two-month-old military operations to curb violence in Baghdad, which have included tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops.
"Our commitment to Iraq is long-term, but it is not a commitment to have our young men and women patrolling Iraq's streets open-endedly," Gates said at a news conference.
Gates pledged that the United States would continue training and modernizing Iraqi security forces to enable Iraq to defend itself from attack from abroad. But he made clear that in the future, U.S. troops could pull back from the day-to-day mission of providing security and combating militants. He stopped short of referring to a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country.
Iraqi politicians did not react as Gates had hoped. Nouri al-Maliki reminded Gates that the assembly is an independent body, and could not promise a specific date for passage of the legislation. One of the MPs told the press that "time is not important," and that the proposed legislation will pass because it is an Iraqi priority and not an American priority.
The tone of the demand sounds a little different from the administration's calls for patience and perseverance. Gates may be offering advice more than giving an ultimatum. The Democrats want to offer a supplemental for war funding that will only cover 60 days. That means Congress will have to start the funding process all over again, and the Democrats clearly hope to wear down the administration on forcing a withdrawal without having to assume the responsibilities of defunding the troops in Iraq. If the Iraqis do not make clear political process by then, Gates is saying, he may have no choice but to remove troops from Baghdad and let the Iraqi capital fall apart.
Gates highlighted the recent string of large-scale bombing as an indicator that al-Qaeda has adopted desperation tactics. They no longer distinguish between Sunni and Shi'ite victims, but have declared war on all Iraq, Gates argued. The series of bombings that killed almost 200 people show that AQI has no more allies even among the other insurgencies, and that the pressure of the new strategy has forced them into complete political isolation.
Hopefully, Gates has analyzed this correctly. If so, then perhaps the Iraqis will recognize their precarious position and start working quickly on the political reforms that will help speed unity.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on April 21, 2007 8:53 AM | Comments () | TrackBacks (1)
Comments
Please note that unverified Disqus users will have comments held in moderation. Please visit Disqus to register and verify your account. Comments from verified users will appear immediately.