Abizaid oppose additional troops

NY Times:

As the new secretary of defense, Robert M. Gates, takes stock of the war in Iraq this week, he will find Gen. John P. Abizaid, the senior commander in the Middle East, resistant to increasing the American fighting force there.

General Abizaid, who is completing the final months of a highly decorated military career, acknowledges that additional American forces, favored by some of President Bush’s top advisers, might provide a short-term boost in security. But he argues that foreign troops are a toxin bound to be rejected by Iraqis, and that expanding the number of American troops merely puts off the day when Iraqis are forced to take responsibility for their own security.

While American forces may be repositioned within Iraq to meet growing security challenges, especially in Baghdad, the answer is not solely military, and even the leading role in combat cannot long rest on American forces, General Abizaid says.

“The Baghdad security situation requires more Iraqi troops,” he said in a recent interview as he traveled around Iraq, meeting with American commanders.

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He has been pretty consistent in this position since he took command. What this story confirms is that all those books and stories about Rumsfeld being the one who did not want additional troops in Iraq were just flat wrong. Abizaid continues to make the same case he has made all along on troop levels. I see his point, but I think he has left out the time element he has to accomplish that objective. Politically, there is no more time left to stay on the same course he has set. We are left with the alternative of adding the troops to push us past the tipping point or reducing our effort and losing. Given that choice, we should take our chances on accomplishing our objective with more troops.

Gen. Abizaid has decided to retire. Perhaps he too, senses that his strategy has run out of time on the political clock at home.