Leaving Iraq: Who Decides When and How Fast

Sunday’s Chicago Tribune reported that, while he was in Kuwait, "President Bush said … the military is on track with its plan to withdraw forces [from Iraq] but that the commanders on the ground would be allowed to ‘slow her down’ to maintain improved security there." The article continued:

"… Bush conferred privately over troop withdrawal numbers with Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq … .

The two discussed possible scenarios for withdrawing more troops than planned by July as part of the president's ‘surge’ strategy, but Bush reiterated that any future withdrawals would depend on ‘conditions on the ground.’

… ‘My attitude is, if he didn't want to continue the drawdown, that's fine with me, in order to make sure we succeed. I said to the general, "If you want to slow her down, fine, it's up to you."’"

While it is a little unclear exactly what the President meant, it appears he was saying that it will be General Petraeus, and not him, who be deciding how quickly U.S. troops are withdrawn from Iraq. If that is what President Bush meant, I very much disagree. Let me explain.

For President Bush to put the decision as to the timing and speed of any withdrawal of our forces from Iraq on General Petraeus is both wrong and unfair. It is wrong because that decision, in the case of Iraq, is too political and too basic to have a purely military answer. In some situations a withdrawal of forces is mostly a military matter. In Iraq today, it is the ultimate decision, involving an evaluation of political and military considerations, both inside and outside of Iraq, that is not within General Petraeus’s job description.

It is also unfair to put this decision on General Petraeus because he is a career military officer whose job is to follow orders, not make decisions of such a deeply political nature. The principle of civilian control of the military preserves the right of our elected officials to make fundamental decisions and it protects our military from being used for political purposes.

Ultimately, the decision of when and how fast we leave Iraq must be made at the highest level. General Petraeus may be the commanding general, but President Bush is the commander-in-chief. President Bush should listen to General Petraeus’s recommendation, but the decision is President Bush’s and nobody else’s.