Posted on 03/09/2009 7:44:07 PM PDT by autumnraine
Grenades lie unattended next to a west Mosul bazaar. Garbage bags throughout the city are searched daily for bombs. At a sprawling sheep market, Iraqi army soldiers are careful not to kick over rocks for fear of setting off hidden explosives.
War has ebbed in most parts of Iraq, but not in Mosul, the third-largest city and Al Qaeda's last stronghold in the fragile new democracy. And time is running out on the around-the-clock U.S. military patrols of Mosul. U.S. troops must vacate cities by June 30 under an agreement with the Iraqis, and President Obama is ending all American combat operations after August 2010.
The Iraqi security forces are not sure they'll be ready.
"If you don't have the Americans, this is not going to be good," said an Iraqi army captain who gave his name only as Ahmed to protect his family from insurgents. "I cannot take care of it."
Even so, "some people don't like coalition forces here," Ahmed added as his soldiers joined U.S. troops at the sheep market in west Mosul last week. "Iraqi people will come together, and it will be better."
Whether they will be safe in Mosul is anyone's guess.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Wary?
I think you are correct, but that’s the way it is at Fox. I too believe it should be “wary”.
A strategic typo targeted at people scanning headlines
The other dems are quite upset about leaving so many troops there.
It will be cut down.
Yeah, I just copied and pasted. It’s the editor’s fault, I didn’t want to get in trouble with Mods here.
You’re absolutely right.
But we’re in one of those “damned if you do - damned if you don’t” situations.
The Iraqi security forces, while they are improving, aren’t ready to be on their own.
But the longer our troops keep bearing the brunt of security and patrol duties, it means that the Iraqi security forces won’t step it up, thinking that we’ll always be there to back ‘em up.
Gee, wonder who the “people that don’t like coalition forces” are? Probably just Swedish Grandmothers.
Exactly, sooner or later, the moment will come for the ISF.
I think they will do alright, the problem is turncoats in the ranks IMO, that has plagued the Iraqis for years now.
This is pretty much the Dubya plan, which makes sense since all of the Iraq actors are carried over from Bush ‘43’s staff.
Iraq hasn’t been a safe, stable place for decades, which is why it took an SOB like Saddam to run the place. And, I fear, another like him will regain power. However, the oil is safely flowing again, and that’s what the western economies demand.
That was my first thought, upon reading of the little general on the Potomac's plans.
It will probably turn into a full scale all out withdrawal.
Their only plan is losing Iraq to the terrorists.
Period.
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