President Bush huddled with top military leaders about the Iraq war Friday, and Pentagon officials defended efforts to rid the Iraqi national police of sectarian bias and corruption, even as an independent review found the force too tainted to continue.
In an hour and a half meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a secure Pentagon room dubbed ”the Tank,” Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney heard from leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, who are worried about strains that are building on the forces — and on troops’ families — as a result of lengthy and repeated tours in Iraq.
Bush did not speak in person after the meeting, but he issued a statement saying he is committed to giving the military ”all it needs to meet the challenges of this new century.” He also asked lawmakers to reserve judgment about the best next move in Iraq until a report in two weeks from the U.S.’s top general and top diplomat there.
"The stakes in Iraq are too high and the consequences too grave for our security here at home to allow politics to harm the mission of our men and women in uniform,” the president said in the statement. ”It is my hope that we can put partisanship and politics behind us and commit to a common vision that will provide our troops what they need to succeed and secure our vital national interests in Iraq and around the world."
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.