Generals counting on W to listen... NOT!

Army: Service must cut combat tours
By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
Tue Feb 26, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Army's top general said Tuesday he wants to reduce combat tours for soldiers in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months this summer — and hopes that sticks

Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, told a Senate panel he would not embrace going back to the longer tours even if President Bush decided to suspend troop reductions for the second half of the year.
...
He said he anticipates the service can cut combat tours from 15 months to 12 months this summer, as long as the president reduces the number of active-duty Army brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan to 15 units by July, as planned.

Interesting phrasing in this reporting. Gen Casey apparently doesn't much trust W, but he doesn't really care:

Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, told a Senate panel he would not embrace going back to the longer tours even if President Bush decided to suspend troop reductions for the second half of the year.

Though he suggests that getting tours back to 12 months would be easier if planned active-duty redeployments go forward.

Now, the words cited from the article are not Gen Casey's - they are the reporter's summary of what Gen Casey said. BUT - if Gen Casey did in fact say something like this, it seems a none-too-subtle telegraph to W:

"Sir, it doesn't matter what you decide - we're going to cut combat tours to 12 months."

Will W take the hint?