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Additional Support Troops Join Buildup in Iraq
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"Legislation that would involve specific deadlines and strict conditions would make it difficult, if not impossible, for our commanders to achieve their mission," Gates told reporters aboard his flight back to Washington.
After taking office in December, Gates made it clear that he wanted U.S. commanders overseas to feel comfortable in requesting more troops. "What we have done, I hope, is create an environment in which the commanders feel open to requesting what they think they need," he told reporters in January.
Petraeus has said that he will request what he needs to carry out his mission, and that if the forces are not forthcoming, the mission may have to be redefined.
Military officials voiced concern yesterday that although they had anticipated the need for more support troops when the increase in combat forces was proposed, that assessment was not made public. "It was all part of the plan initially, but it didn't get explained well," said the military official in Baghdad.
According to figures provided by the Pentagon yesterday, U.S. troops in Iraq now total 142,000. Once all the additional forces arrive in Iraq -- by early June, Petraeus said -- the total will rise to about 158,000.
The troop increase comes as U.S. commanders in Iraq this month projected that they will have to keep troop levels elevated until the spring of 2008 -- which will require decisions to extend units in Iraq or have others deploy early.
"This reinforces the idea that this is an open-ended commitment and that the president needs to be held accountable, as do the Iraqis," said Stacey Bernards, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).
Gates said yesterday that the Pentagon and the Iraqi government understand the congressional frustration: "I certainly think that everybody's gotten the message that there's a great deal of impatience to see progress. The Congress doesn't want to see an open-ended commitment here. So if the intent is to send a powerful message, I think the message has been received."
Staff writer Jonathan Weisman contributed to this report.
