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Conway: Corps is becoming another Army

WASHINGTON — Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway said Monday he is concerned about the Marines Corps’ ability to respond to security flare-ups around the world on short notice because of the demands put on it by the Iraq war.

In recent years, the Marine Corps has emerged as a “second land Army” tasked with securing Iraq and must buy heavy equipment, including a fleet of 3,700 mine-resistant vehicles, to protect its personnel from roadside bombs, Conway said.

“I’m a little bit concerned about us keeping our expeditionary flavor. ... We are much heavier than ever before,” he said at a lunch sponsored by the Center for New American Security.

Conway’s comments come amid suggestions at the Pentagon that the Marines pull their forces from Iraq and send them to Afghanistan to take the lead combat role there.

On Monday, Conway declined to comment because he said he had not yet briefed Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Gates recently told reporters that he was aware of the suggestion but had not seen a plan.

“My understanding is that it’s, at this point, extremely preliminary thinking on the part of perhaps the staff in the Marine Corps,” Gates said. “But I don’t think at this point it has any stature.”

On a separate issue, Conway said Monday he agreed with recent assessments that al-Qaida in Iraq is significantly crippled by recent U.S. efforts. But, he said, the terror network has shown previously an “amazing ability to regenerate.” Conway cautioned his view was restricted to the western Anbar province, where Marines have control.

“Are they crippled? Yeah,” he said. “Are they still dangerous? Absolutely.”

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