MILITARY UPDATE
Shift likely in force levels worldwide
By Tom Philpott
The demand for U.S. forces in Iraq and other fronts in the global war on terrorism likely will require a drawdown of troops elsewhere, and that might include Bosnia, Kosovo, even Iceland, says Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In an interview, Myers said making Iraq safe for democracy is "the most important thing we're doing right now," which means other missions, including peacekeeping in the Balkans, are not as important. It's probably time European nations assumed a bigger role there, Myers suggested.
In recent war games, Myers said, most of the Joint Chiefs weren't happy with a couple of assumptions on worldwide commitments. They agree U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is critical. What needs to change then, he said, is "our posture in the rest of the world."
"We're still in Bosnia. We're still in Kosovo. Should we be there? Should the Europeans pick up more of that?" Myers asked.
A shift of deployed forces is just a partial solution for easing the operational strain. Another is encouraging wider international involvement in Iraq, a move Myers strongly supports.
Earlier this month President Bush accepted a proposal from Secretary of State Colin Powell that seeks the deployment of U.N. forces to Iraq, under U.S. command.
Iraq needs to be perceived as more than a U.S. operation, Myers said. A Polish-led division replaced U.S. forces in south-central Iraq on Wednesday. British forces remain in the south. A third force is planned, led by Turkey, Pakistan or another nation.
Finally, Myers said, "the Iraqis need to take a bigger share of this load — and they are." More than 50,000 have been trained and armed, mostly as policemen.
The Congressional Budget Office, in a report released after the Myers interview, said the U.S. military will be unable to sustain an occupation force of 150,000 in Iraq beyond March 2004 unless some troops are kept there longer than a year. However, an occupation force of 38,000 to 64,000 could be kept there indefinitely, using only active Army units, at a cost of $8 billion to $12 billion a year.
Myers said he believes conditions in Iraq will improve and the challenge to force rotations will ease. If conditions worsen, then "heel-to-toe" troop rotations, with a "fairly short time home," are possible, he said.
Defense leaders worry about the effects of Iraq, including a drain on recruiting and retention. More immediate concerns are with force protection and quality of life. It will be November before all U.S. soldiers have the most effective body armor; 30 percent of soldiers still must sleep without air conditioning.
The end game in Iraq for the U.S. military, Myers said, is tied not only to the security challenge but to political and economic conditions, all of which must be addressed aggressively.
Military people understand they're in a global war on terrorism even if many Americans don't, because they haven't been asked to make sacrifices yet, Myers said. The troops also understand it's a fight America can't afford to lose, he said.
"International terrorism, left alone, has the potential to destroy our way of life," said Myers. "To me, it's that simple."
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