THE TENSION: President, Vice President Meet with Top Officials at Pentagon

President Bush and Vice President Cheney meet with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon, Aug. 31, 2007. Photo by Cherie A. Thurlby

News in Balance

Associated Press stories about the meeting President Bush and Vice President Cheney had Friday with top leaders at the Pentagon would have readers believe Bush has been advised that the Iraqis are so corrupt that they are "too tainted to continue," and that the administration -- must -- change course this fall to "save the health of a heavily stressed Army and Marines Corps."

AP reported:

In an hour and a half meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a secure Pentagon room dubbed "the Tank," Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney heard from leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, who are worried about strains that are building on the forces - and on troops' families - as a result of lengthy and repeated tours in Iraq.

However, in an official release, John J. Kruzel, writing for The American Forces Press Service, said the meeting was held to discuss the commitment to providing servicemembers with all they need "to meet the challenges of this new century."

In a written statement released by the White House after his meeting with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Bush said he accepted a recommendation Gates made in January to increase the overall strength of the Army and Marines by 92,000 over the next five years.

"This will strengthen our military and help reset our forces to respond to multiple contingencies around the world at any given moment," Bush said. "The effort is well under way, but there is more to do, and the Joint Chiefs are doing a terrific job monitoring the health of our all-volunteer force."

The president said the meeting included discussion about military and civilian coordination, noting that joint civilian and military teams currently are deployed in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines and Iraq.

"In Iraq, we have more than doubled the number of civilian-led provincial reconstruction teams this year, most of which are embedded with U.S. combat brigades," Bush said. "These teams are a force multiplier for our men and women in uniform, and they are essential to the "bottom up" political progress taking place in Anbar, Diyala, and other provinces across Iraq.
"The Civilian Reserve Corps now being developed will enlarge the pool of civilian volunteers to support and enhance our missions," he continued.

Bush remarked that a highly anticipated assessment by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker is due out next month. "This status report comes less than three months since our new strategy became fully operational and will assess what is going well, what can be improved, and what adjustments might be made in the coming months," he said.

The president urged congressional members to withhold judgment until the report has been presented.

"The stakes in Iraq are too high and the consequences too grave for our security here at home to allow politics to harm the mission of our men and women in uniform," he said. "It is my hope that we can put partisanship and politics behind us and commit to a common vision that will provide our troops what they need to succeed and secure our vital national interests in Iraq and around the world."
Bush closed his statement by praising servicemembers' resolve, and vowing to uphold the legacy of their effort.

"The brave men and women of our armed forces and their families are making heroic sacrifices to secure our country," he said. "America will honor these sacrifices by ensuring that our children and grandchildren inherit a more peaceful, just, and democratic world."