Posted on 08/22/2008 3:20:12 AM PDT by HAL9000
via translation -
ALERT - The American troops out of Iraq end 2011
BAGHDAD - U.S. troops have left Iraq at the end of 2011 under the security agreement negotiated with the Americans who should be further examined by the highest authorities of Iraq, announced Friday by AFP Chief negotiators Iraqis.
"At the end of 2011, American troops will withdraw from Iraq," Mohammed told al-Haj Hammoud.
The Democrats will blow a gasket when they hear this. We’ve given a strong committment to Iraq.
What else is new. Petraeus briefed this last September 11, if you knew how to read the chart.
LWJ will be publishing on this soon, spelling out how it works. (Article in final edit, I was too verbose.)
What's new is that we've made an agreement now.
The way I see it - Even if Obama wins the election, he won't be in a position to break our committment.
You write for the Long War Journal? It’s a good site.
The agreement says we'll be out by then. I don't think it says we agree to stay in any particular amount of force until then.
It's not finalized yet.
No one forget that it was the Surge strategy, vocally heralded by McCain that made a victorious return of US combat troops possible, unlike the Obama "we are defeated" non-strategy.
So, the only thing that's going to chance is a decrease in the number of FOBs, and an overall downsizing of our numerical presence. Special operations guys will still hunt terrorists, our troops will still train Iraqis, and things will largely continue as they are, except that the locals will be doing more and more of the heavy lifting.
1) pulling the plug on a hopeless war, and
2) following Obama’s plan for a pull out. So which is it?
They just never will admit the the Surge has accomplished its task, and that now we can start developing a plan for troop withdrawal as the Iraqi troops take our place. The plan all along. And our troops can come home, Mission Accomplished, Heroes.
“...that now we can start developing a plan for troop withdrawal as the Iraqi troops take our place.”
There is no “start” about it. Every detail that has come out so far has fit the plan and projections briefed to the Senate on 11 Sep 2007.
I have seen a lot of spin, but the details have not shifted from the existing plan...
As to security contractors, they will be leaving or become DSS employees (Dip passport). Civilian contractors, not covered by Embassy, will be punnishable by Iraqi law after 31 Dec 2008.
I think it is a mistake to allow the Iraqis to force us to accept a timeline. We have several strong military bases under construction. We need to keep those manned to ensure stability in Iraq and to be able to exert our force throughout the Middle East, to spread democracy and ensure against the creation of terrorist states.
Timelines have always been anathema to the Administration, and now they are agreeing to one. I realize President Bush will not be in office when this comes due, but hope McCain was consulted. He will be administering the withdrawel and be responsible for the ensuing situation in Iraq and the region.
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