Sen. Carl Levin, the new head of the Armed Services Committee, told defense reporters Tuesday that he would support a short-term surge of US military forces in Iraq, if it is preceded by a specific plan complete with milestones and time limits that transfer responsibility to the Iraqis. With such conditions in place, Levin believes the US could, in four to six months, begin to reduce the number of American forces. An unlimited surge as part of a plan to “stay in Iraq as long as the Iraqis want us” will lead to failure, in his opinion. “We’re already overstretched; we’ve got tours of duty that have already been extended,” Levin asserted, adding, “We’ve got a real problem.” He maintains, “There’s not a military solution.”
The program executive officers for some of the Air Force’s largest acquisition management organizations are struggling to deal with an exodus of senior talent and experienced civilian staff, three of them told an industry conference.
