Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

Obama, top officials begin Iraq drawdown talks

President Barack Obama didn’t fulfill that campaign promise to order an end to the nearly 6-year-old war in Iraq on his first full day in office. But his first official meeting Wednesday with his national security team officially began the planning process for the long-expected move.

In doing so, Obama fulfilled a related campaign promise: To get advice on the pace of a withdrawal from his commanders on the ground. During a late-afternoon meeting at the White House Situation Room, Obama heard from a range of top officials: Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, both via video teleconference, and, in person, Central Command chief Gen. David Petraeus, Joint Chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, according to the White House.

Also taking part in the meeting were Vice President Joe Biden, Under Secretary of State William Burns, National Security Advisor James Jones, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the White House said.

“The meeting was productive and I very much appreciated receiving assessments from these experienced and dedicated individuals,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “During the discussion, I asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq.”

“In the coming days and weeks, I will also visit the Department of Defense to consult with the Joint Chiefs on these issues, and we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region,” Obama said. Mullen was the only member of the Joint Chiefs present at Wednesday’s National Security Council meeting.

In the presidential campaign, Obama said he would bring in the Joint Chiefs on his first day in office and give them the mission to end the war “responsibly and deliberately, but decisively.” He initially said he would end it within 16 months, bringing out one or two combat brigades per month, but later added that he would consult with U.S. commanders and Iraqi leaders on the pace of the withdrawal.

An agreement approved by former President Bush and the Iraqi leadership calls for all U.S. forces to be out of cities and towns by June 30, and out of Iraq completely by the end of 2011 — about seven months later than Obama had hoped for.

Obama did not order the closure of the controversial detention facility at Guantanamo Bay on his first day. But according to the Associated Press, Obama will issue an order on Thursday to close Guantanamo’s detention facility and halt the military commissions process.

The previous night, he set the stage for closure by ordering a 120-day suspension of proceedings in a detainee case to allow time for an administration review of the military commission process.

The NSC principals did not discuss the war effort in Afghanistan, where Obama has promised to refocus U.S. efforts in the fight against terrorism by beefing up troop strength. Currently, about 32,000 U.S. troops are serving there. But Obama said Afghanistan will soon be on the agenda.