Yep... simple prudence....
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Gates Makes Concession to Clinton
SecDef Offers to Brief Senate Armed Services on "Thinking" Re: Drawdown
By CHRISTINA DAVIDSON Posted 1 hr. 3 min. ago
iraqslogger.com
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has offered "to establish a process" for the Senate Armed Services Committee, to help keep them "apprised of the conceptual thinking, factors, considerations, questions and objectives associated with drawdown planning."
Gates was responding to a request from committee member Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had asked the Pentagon to provide information in its contingency planning for the removal of US troops from Iraq.
Clinton's request sparked some controversy when Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman penned the initial response, which declined to provide the requested information because, as he wrote: "Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia."
Dems accused the Pentagon of questioning the patriotism of the Senator just because she asked the question, and Clinton said she would take the issue up with Edelman's boss.
Gates clarifies in his letter, "I emphatically assure you that we do not claim, suggest, or otherwise believe that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies, nor do we question anyone’s motives in this regard."
The secretary explained that contingency plans are not typically shared with oversight committees for many reasons, including operational security, the fact that plans regularly change in response to circumstances on the ground, and the resultant need to maintain flexibility, but offered to work with Clinton and the committee to keep them informed as much as possible.
Clinton's response welcomes "the disclosure" that the Pentagon "is indeed planning for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq." Considering the Pentagon maintains contingency plans for a wide array of possible scenarios all over the world, this isn't such a revelation for those who understand the military. However, it will be interesting to watch if the mainstream media picks that angle as their lead in covering the story. |
