US has no idea when troops will pull out of Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=441887

Under fierce grilling from both Democratic and Republican Senators yesterday, senior US officials admitted they had no idea how long American troops would be staying in Iraq, or when the extra international forces sought by President George Bush would be deployed to help them.

In further attacks against US troops, a car bomb exploded outside an office used by American soldiers in northern Iraq, killing one Iraqi and wounding six Americans and 41 Iraqis.

A US soldier was killed and one wounded when a homemade bomb exploded near a military vehicle on a supply route north-east of Baghdad, US Central Command said today.

Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy Defence Secretary, and General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the first defence on Capitol Hill of President Bush's $87bn (£55bn) funding request, for the US military and reconstruction effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.

more

[lebkuchen]

1. The plan is to "democratize" all of the Middle East

Condoleeeza wants a 30 year generational commitment from Americans in the Middle East.

"Pull out of Iraq" does not compute.

[underpants]

3. Establishment of US ground force in ME is a PNAC goal

I don't know why anyone on either side thinks we are going to pull out. Hell they said that US bases would be established in Iraq (and US out of Saudi Arabia) when the sand storms hit. Remember there was nothing to report and they don't like that so they announced that US bases would be established. It was one of the main elements in the '98 letter to President Clinton.

We aren't ever leaving.

[TahitiNut]

2. One rarely knows when a rapist will 'pull out'.

:shrug:

One thing's for sure: it has nothing to do with the victim's welfare.

[AndyTiedye]

4. We Know When This One Will

when the oil runs out.

I'm sure some of us remember a cartoon that ran last winter,
that featured Saddam saying that Iraq had unexpectedly run out of oil,
and flotillas of aircraft carriers, bombers and all that were headed for
Iraq had made a very sudden U-turn.

[shanti]

5. ouch!

n/t