...The longer deployments also will allow President Bush's "surge" strategy in Baghdad to last a year in case such high force levels are needed in Iraq. "We are creating the capability to keep it in place," Gates said, adding that the surge will last only as long as commanders believe it is effective and necessary, based on conditions in Iraq.
The announcement was made earlier this afternoon.
The new Pentagon policy also means that tens of thousands of Army troops headed to Iraq and Afghanistan in coming months likely will serve tours 25 percent longer than the one-year tours the Army has had in place for the two conflicts over the past five years.
Secretary of Defense Gates tries to make extended tours sound more humane and more politically acceptable than, of course, they are.
Gates said the change is necessary to prevent five Army brigades from deploying to combat before they complete a desired 12-month rest period at home and to give predictability to soldiers and their families.
We already know that the physically injured and psychologically traumatized are being sent back against doctors' advice.
"Our forces are stretched, there is no question about that," Gates said. "What we're trying to do here is provide some long-term predictability for the soldiers and their families about how long their deployments will be and how long they will be at home."
Asked if the extended tours in combat zones will be more difficult for soldiers who had anticipated serving a year there, Pace said: "Of course it is."
This should make Democrats in Congress even more eager to yield to the White House in the matter of money to fund a continuing war, right? Worst of all, we know that the reason why troops are being stressed and sacrificed in this way is not to fight the noble fight for America or even for the sake of beleaguered Iraqis, but rather to extend political cover for failed policies.
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And furthermore: Tim Grieve (Salon) thinks there's more to the set-up story.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates complained bitterly today that "some very thoughtless person" at the Pentagon leaked word about duty extensions... Was there maybe another reason that Gates wanted to keep the story under wraps?...We're just guessing here, but it's not all that hard to imagine how this might have played out for the White House. Bush plays hardball with the Democrats into May. The Pentagon announces that it's got to extend troop deployments by a few months. And the president says, "See, I warned you. Look what those Democrats have done."
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