A Statement On General Petraeus’s Appearance This Morning.

One thing that needs to be made absolutely clear when considering General Petraeus’s recommendation to pause troop withdrawals: pausing troop withdrawals will have devastating consequences for our troops, give the great post-combat burden that they are bearing as a result of repeated exposure to high-intensity combat. The only step that can ease this burden is more time of the fight to rest, re-train and recuperate.

Army leaders, including General Petraeus, know the incredible strain our soldiers are under. They know that with each deployment the likelihood of one of our soldiers developing a sever post-combat mental health problem - the kind that can ruin someone for life - rises by 60%. Despite this recognition - we have not given our troops the rest that they need. We are knowingly compounding their wounds of war.

The need to continue withdrawing troops is urgent - our troops are exhausted. In fact, of the frontline Army units that have engaged the Mahdi Army in eastern Baghdad during the recent outbreak of violence, two brigades are serving their fourth tou, three are serving their third tour, and three are serving their second tour.

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