Casey: Troops Will Accomplish Mission in Iraq

DIWANIYAH, Iraq – The top American commander in Iraq acknowledged yesterday that the Army was stretched but insisted forces here were capable of accomplishing their mission and any recommendation to reduce troops further would be dictated by the situation on the battlefield.American officials said General George Casey was speaking about the Army in general and not specifically about the 136,000-strong force in Iraq. However, his comments are likely to fuel a debate inside the American government over whether America can sustain the fight long enough to break the back of the Sunni Arab-led insurgency.“The forces are stretched … and I don’t think there’s any question of that,” General Casey told reporters. “But the Army has been for the last several years going through a modernization strategy that will produce more units and more ready units.”General Casey said he had discussed manpower strains with General Peter J. Schoomaker on Wednesday and that the Army chief of staff feels he can sustain missions around the world. General Casey was adamant that the troops in Iraq were getting the job done.“So, yep, folks are stretched here but they certainly accomplish their mission, and the forces that you’ve seen on the ground are absolutely magnificent,” General Casey added.In Washington, President Bush brushed aside talk that America could not prevail in Iraq.“If the question is whether or not we can win victory in Iraq, our commanders will have the troops necessary to do that,” Mr. Bush told reporters.Meanwhile, the American command announced that two more American soldiers died Wednesday – one in a bombing south of Baghdad and a second of wounds suffered in a rocket attack in Ramadi.At least 11 Iraqis were killed yesterday in attacks around the country, police said.Also yesterday, the military released five Iraqi women detainees, a move demanded by the kidnappers of American reporter Jill Carroll. Officials said the women were part of a group of about 420 Iraqis to be released yesterday and Friday and that their freedom was not connected to efforts to free Ms. Carroll, who was seized in Baghdad on January 7.

Casey: Troops Will Accomplish Mission in Iraq

Casey: Troops Will Accomplish Mission in Iraq

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