General Ray Odierno: We May Miss Iraq Deadline To Halt Al-Qaeda Terror

London Times ^ | April 10, 2009

[Steelfish]

April 9, 2009

General Ray Odierno: we may miss Iraq deadline to halt al-Qaeda terror

(Karim Kadim/AP) President Obama has pledged to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010

The activities of al-Qaeda in two of Iraq’s most troubled cities could keep US combat troops engaged beyond the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, the top US commander in the country has warned.

US troop numbers in Mosul and Baqubah, in the north of the country, could rise rather than fall over the next year if necessary, General Ray Odierno told The Times in his first interview with a British newspaper since taking over from General David Petraeus in September.

He said that a joint assessment would be conducted with the Iraqi authorities in the coming weeks before a decision is made.

Combat troops are due to leave all Iraqi cities by the end of June. Any delay would be a potential setback for President Obama, who has pledged to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 as he switches his focus to Afghanistan.

[jveritas]

The terrorist attacks have been on the rise in Iraq for the last two months. The terrorists have realized that Obama is the weakest President ever and they are very emboldened by this fact. I greatly hope that General Odierno and General Petraeus will get their way and keep our brave troops longer in Iraq to make sure that the terrorists cannot reorganize there. My greatest concern that if we leave per the Obama schedule Al Qaeda terrorists and their Iraqi allies plus the Iranian terrorists and their Iraqi allies will try to control Iraq and then put the whole Middle East into utter chaos under the control of the terrorists. In this case we are going to face a catastrophe that is worst than any nightmare we can imagine.

[Red Steel]

Well the enemy are now embolden with a loser in the White House.

[RobbyS]

Fat boy’s thugs were out in force the other day.

[RobbyS]

He is going topis away all the results of our success? God, I hope not. I don;’t think the SOB cares, though.

[jveritas]

Yes the Mahdi Army terrorists are reorganizing and so Al Qaeda terrorists and their allies. I am reading so disturbing news that the Sunni alliance that we were able to form during the Surge, the Iraqi Awakening Councils, may be in danger of being broken apart and some of these Sunnis may go back and ally themselves with Al Qaeda terrorists yet again.

[jveritas]

Absolutely.

[RobbyS]

I find this man to be scary. I hoped that his posturing last year was simple pandering to the nutty left. But he IS the nutty left.

[jveritas]

Yes he is the nutty extreme left. He is a socialist, a left wing liberal, and a defeatist. Our nation is going to pay a very heavy price because of his socialism and his defeatism.

[Cyber Ninja]

Good God, 0bama, you are the leader of the free world, at least ‘act’ like it,

[Star Traveler]

You said — Well the enemy are now embolden with a loser in the White House.

—

Well.., from my list, Obama has a long ways to go before he catches up to Reagan. Now, there was a President that really was “tested” by the enemy...

I don’t think Obama can come anywhere near what Reagan accomplished.

See my list I complied today...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2226437/posts?page=43#43

[ChicagahAl]

"He is a socialist, a left wing liberal, and a defeatist"

I don't believe he is a defeatist. A defeatist simply gives up the hope of winning.

I believe that Obama's goal is to lower America's standard of living to that of other countries. He especially wants to lower White Americans' standard of living to that of Black, Sub-Saharan Africans.

It's all about pay-back to him. Pay-back to Whitey for mythical injustices, which never actually happened.

[jveritas]

He is a defeatist when dealing with our foreign enemies.

[ChicagahAl]

"He is a defeatist when dealing with our foreign enemies."

Actually, I think he IS one of our foreign enemies. And he is working WITH our foreign enemies to subjugate the US to either the UN or some other external power.

Again, there is a difference between simply giving up and actively working against a country. The Clintons sold America's nuclear secrets to the Red Chinese Army. That wasn't defeatism. That was active Treason and Espionage. Obama is more of the same - only worse.

[Red Steel]

I said — "Well the enemy are now embolden with a loser in the White House."

—

Your response to what I said:

YOU said: "Well.., from my list, Obama has a long ways to go before he catches up to Reagan. Now, there was a President that really was “tested” by the enemy..."

And YOU followed up with: "I don’t think Obama can come anywhere near what Reagan accomplished."

----

So what saying?

[Red Steel]

So what are you saying? = So what you saying?

[Star Traveler]

You were asking — So what saying?

—

I take it that you’re asking what I’m saying about that...

I had to laugh at the thought that some people were thinking that this little pirate event was some kind of “test” for Obama. It’s hardly anything at all in the way of “Presidential Crises” actually. But, when I started compiling the list of other Presidents and their “crises” — then it became apparent that Obama couldn’t call this little event a “crisis” of any sort.

It would be like comparing a “paper cut” to some guy in the war having his leg and arm blown off... no comparison at all. And it was *especially so* once you see how much Reagan was tested. In fact, I’m flabbergasted at what Reagan had to go through. It’s almost unbelievable...

Anyway, what I’m saying is that this is no test for Obama. He might as well be on vacation, as anything else. You could let the military run on “auto-pilot” and do as much... LOL...

—

Well, an interesting thing happened on the way to Free Republic for me, a few days ago..., it just started with a simple post and two little items on it... I never intended for the following list to come about... LOL...

Here’s where it all started, and then some FReepers started giving me some more events.. :-)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2226437/posts?page=5#5

THEN... it turned into this...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2226437/posts?page=135#135

—

Oh..., and I decided to watch the docudrama — “The Missiles of October”. One should watch that one (or watch it again, if you have already seen it) to see how a “real crisis” happened and all the backroom scenes of how the President’s office works in solving the crisis... :-)

[Red Steel]

For a second there, you give the readers, following my comment, that Obama’s perceived weakness by the enemy of the United States is the same way they perceived Reagan willingness to use military force. I don’t think the bad guys of the world tested Reagan to see if he would use military might. Reagan made that clear before he ever became president. ... Oh, maybe one that idiot Daffy Duck(Kadafi) from Libya thought he could.

[Star Traveler]

I’m just referring to the often stated item brought up about “being tested”... and I’m just saying that I can’t even call this a “test” for Obama... I mean, he could “sleep-walk” through it and put the military on “auto-pilot” and be successful... LOL..

But, talk about “tests”... well see Reagan’s “tests” and what he had to go through. I don’t think Obama will ever see anywhere near that kind of “testing” that Reagan saw...

[Red Steel]

Obama is going to be tested by every potential enemy imaginable because of his weakness.

China wants to take Taiwan, now’s the time. Will Obama send the Pacific fleet to repulse the invasion?

Russia. Does Putin and his puppet want to take advantage of Obama? How about retaking the former territories of Soviet Union? Watch what happens to Georgia.

Iran. Obama won’t lift a finger to stop them from getting nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad reads him like I do. Obama will fold like a cheap shirt and let him have his nukes.

Al Qaeda in Iraq. They are stepping up their attacks since Obama became president. Would Obama pull out of Iraq like he has planed and let it fall? Al Qaeda thinks so.

North Korea. They now have the green light to develop nukes and their delivery systems without interference.

Oh, Obama will be tested like no president ever has.