Responding to criticism to his vote on Friday against the supplemental appropriations bill Mr. McHugh said,

“It took away from local commanders on the field, who are in the heat of battle, really the flexibility to make the decisions that they need to make. It’s micro managing from Washington the kind of debacle we got ourselves into in Vietnam”


The bill specifically funds an orderly and safe withdrawal from Iraq after March 1, 2008:

(d) … the Secretary of Defense shall commence the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq not later than March 1, 2008, and complete such redeployment within 180 days.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act are immediately available for obligation and expenditure to plan and execute a safe and orderly redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq, as specified in subsections (c) and (d).

It says nothing about the “heat of battle” or “micromanaging” commanders in the field. It directs the Secretary of Defense to withdraw the troops. Directions to and funding of the activities of the Secretary of Defense do not constitute “micromanaging” but rather funding and broad policy direction.

In fact the Act explicitly states:

It is the sense of Congress that, because the commanders of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq have the training, experience, and first-hand knowledge of the situation on the ground–

(1) the commanders should be allowed to conduct the war and manage the movements of the troops; and

(2) Congress should remain focused on executing its oversight role.

What could be more clear. Continue Reading »