By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
A Missouri lawmaker, a veteran and a current soldier say a plan to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq within 18 months is workable, if that is what President Obama announces.
A Kansas lawmaker is taking a wait-to-see approach.
The Associated Press reported that Obama plans to remove most combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, though a military presence of as many as 50,000 support troops may remain. The United States and Iraq have an agreement that no U.S. troops will remain after December 2011. The AP report cited unidentified sources within the administration, adding that the announcement may come Friday.
A Pentagon spokesman on Wednesday told the AP that some of the remaining support troops will take part in counterterrorism operations that may include combat.
John Marshall, a Joplin veteran of the Iraq war, said he supports the decision, with reservations.
“I’m happy to hear that we’re actually going to start pulling troops out of Iraq and bring them home where they belong,” Marshall said.
He said he thinks the military has accomplished its job, but added that he worries about conditions in Iraq worsening if there is no U.S. presence.
“I’ve got kind of mixed feelings about it,” Marshall said. “I think they’ll need some kind of guidance for a very long time. I know I’m not the only soldier who feels that way. I’ve talked to a lot of my buddies about it.”
Army Maj. Donald Stoner III is chairman of the military science department at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University. He returned in June after a 13-month deployment to Iraq.
“The security situation has improved significantly,” Stoner said. “The threat has decreased.”
He said the president gets his advice from senior military commanders. He said their advice is based on facts on the ground in Iraq.
“I’m not surprised by this,” Stoner said. “It’s logical.”
He said that if the president makes the announcement that is expected, he would welcome it.
“It’s a good sign for us,” Stoner said. “It’s a good sign for Iraq.”
U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, responded with a written statement to the Globe’s question. He said that if press reports are accurate, withdrawing combat troops from Iraq is a step in the right direction.
“Drawing down troops would reduce the strain on our military, free up resources for Afghanistan and other priorities, and support the Iraqi government,” Skelton said.
“Of course, the devil is in the details,” the statement continued. “Any redeployment must be done in a responsible way that assures the safety of U.S. forces during the draw-down and provides for the return of critical U.S. military equipment.”
Skelton said he wants to learn more about the plan, but that he has great confidence in Obama’s defense team.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., also issued a written response.
“I would like to see President Obama’s proposal,” she said in the statement. “I believe our military policy needs to be determined by the conditions on the ground and the advice of the military experts. I am not supportive of an arbitrary timeline.”
The Globe’s efforts to obtain comment Wednesday from U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., were unsuccessful.
Campaign pledge
Barack Obama, during the presidential campaign, pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.
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