Posted on 07/08/2008 4:16:51 PM PDT by rocksblues
FORT LEWIS, Wash., July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday he expected to pull more U.S. troops from Iraq as local security forces improve, downplaying calls from Baghdad for a firm withdrawal deadline.
"As the Iraqi security forces get stronger and get better then we would be able to continue drawing down our troops in the future," Gates told reporters during a visit to the Fort Lewis Army base in Washington state.
The Pentagon chief stressed any decision to withdraw would be based on the ability of Iraqi troops to take responsibility for security and combat.
"This transition of control and primary responsibility for security is a process that is well under way and, based on everything I've heard, we will be able to continue," he said. "However, that really depends on the situation on the ground."
Iraq, however, has begun to call for a timetable that would set dates for the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Iraqi officials said the timetable should be included in the agreement being negotiated with Washington that will provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to operate when a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
If they want a date, I pick 12/12/2012. I think the world is supposed to end that day anyway.
Berry Hussein Obama will run infomercials taking credit for victory in Iraq if we pull the troops out before the November election. What’s one more little white lie on a resume filled with little white lies? In Berry’s warped sense of reality it was his calls to bring the troops home that forced the president into withdrawing the troops.
The Iraqi proposal stipulates that, once Iraqi forces have resumed security responsibility in all 18 of Iraq’s provinces, U.S.-led forces would then withdraw from all cities in the country.
After that, the country’s security situation would be reviewed every six months, for three to five years, to decide when U.S.-led troops would pull out entirely, al-Adeeb said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080708/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
Which Iraqi officials? At what level? Names? I hate Reuters.
“U.S.-led forces would then withdraw from all cities in the country.
After that, the country’s security situation would be reviewed every six months, for three to five years, to decide when U.S.-led troops would pull out entirely, al-Adeeb said.”
It’s amazing how much the US Dollar has depreciated. It’s almost as if the $trillion or so can’t even buy gratitude from an Arab.
Yes, we’ll encamp our troops in the godforsaken desert for 5 years in the off chance that they are needed.
GWB was right.....this victory wasn’t like the one’s of our fathers and grandfathers.
Actually, our large bases are mostly outside the cities in Iraq. So we can move troops to the large bases under this sort of agreement. You know those godfosaken desert bases with Starbucks and Burger Kings.
Concentrating our troops in bases is a bad idea.
Remember Beirut?
That is how they are deployed in Kosovo and So. Korea and Germany and Japan
The MSM is trying to spin this that the Iraqis aren’t grateful and want us out.
Don’t let them fool you.
The situation will be analogous to Germany and Japan. We don’t have American troops patrolling the streets of Berlin or Tokyo.
Maliki can’t be seen as an American puppet. If he is, it’ll mean war for the next fifty years. He has to be allowed to “throw his weight around” and dictate terms.
To see how the Iraqi government really views the U.S. military, watch this clip:
Note that General Mark Hertling is very ostentatiously wearing an Iraqi flag on his shoulder.
This is to send a message to the region that the Iraqi military and the U.S. military are one, and this victory was achieved by both countries working together.
The American and Iraqi military leadership is signaling what has already happened: The U.S. and Iraq are now allies, and woe betide anybody who bothers Iraq from now on.
“You know those godfosaken desert bases with Starbucks and Burger Kings.”
Oh, my bad, I’m sure our troops will love to be a bases like that in the middle of the desert. Thanks for correcting me.
Bases are already there, and there are thousands of troops in them. I’m talking about bases like Taji, Anaconda, BIAP, etc.
“Don’t let them fool you.”
So far there has been precious little in gratitude from the Iraqi’s - oil contracts, etc.....
I hope they have exaggerated the pessimism and the reasoning behind such moves. But then again, if internal politics requires the government to “pretend” to show us the door, then I do not think we’ve made much progress, at least from a political standpoint, in winning hearts and minds.
I believe Iraq is destined to be a islamic fundamentalist theocracy shortly after we leave. I’d love to be wrong, but that is what I think.
“Bases are already there, and there are thousands of troops in them. I’m talking about bases like Taji, Anaconda, BIAP, etc.”
Yes, yes, I am aware of the garden spots with Starbucks and Burger Kings that our troops absolutely love to be garrisoned in.
Although they would be bored, the large bases are 1,000 times nicer than the FOBs and the joint security stations.
You get up in the morning and you order coffee from Starbucks. Then after the morning routine, you have a nice Double Whopper with fries. After you finish the afternoon routine, you go to the mess hall and then play halo.
What's not to like?
Iran isn’t threatening those areas.
The 1st time by brother had a Cinnabun was in Bagdad. We live in the Atlanta area, it’s not like they don’t have them all over here.
Ah, yes...Camp Liberty. They have a decent mocha cappucino there, too. I've never been to a Cinnabon anywhere except there. I've seen 'em...mostly in airports, but that's the only one where I've ever bought anything.
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