U.S. officials say Iraq role to last years, cost more

[CGowen]

By Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's nominee to be top military adviser said on Tuesday the United States will be in Iraq for "years not months" and a Pentagon official said the war was costing even more than expected.

Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, picked as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned U.S. lawmakers unhappy with the conflict against seeking a rapid pullout from Iraq, saying it could turn the country into a "caldron."

While prudence dictated planning for an eventual pullout, Mullen said that under one scenario it could take three to four years just to halve the 160,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq. Many Democrats want to pull out combat troops by April.

"I do think we will be there for years, not months," Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing. "But I don't see it (Iraq) as a permanent -- you know, on a permanent base at this point."

...

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN3123378320070731

[Tom Joad]

1. Presuming hillary or guilliani is elected, yes, it will.

[EVDebs]

2. John McCain, we'll be in Iraq 10 or 20 years, 'that's not so bad'....

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/03/opinion/03herbert.html?ex=1251950400&en=05e3ab2760c5d748&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

"When asked this week on CNN how long the U.S. military is likely to remain in Iraq, Senator John McCain replied "probably" 10 or 20 years. "That's not so bad," he said, adding, "We've been in Korea for 50 years. We've been in West Germany for 50 years."

Heads in the Sand
By BOB HERBERT
Published: September 3, 2004

[babylonsister]

3. Why does anyone think that the American people will accept this?

We just had a bridge go down with an unknown amount of dead because funds had been diverted from infrastructure problems all over the country so that this admin can fund this illegal occupation.

I honest to God hope this doesn't fly and people recognize what a lost cause it is.

It's past time to start trying to fix problems here.

[CGowen]

4. The Iraqis are loosing bridges and it's creating sectarian division

Elsewhere in the capital, a truck bomb destroyed a bridge over the Tigris River, killing at least one person and severing a link between the now Shiite-dominant eastern side of Baghdad with the Sunni-dominant west.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041200265.html

It would be great if the the people in Iraq could be left alone in Iraq and the US could fix domestic problems with it's infrastructure.

[babylonsister]

6. Our presence there isn't helping that problem, I don't believe. Maybe

things would calm down if we left. We've been told often enough they don't want us there.

[CGowen]

10. the US has to chase fake Al-Baghdadis, loose 190,000 weapons, give arms to Sunnis etc

Top Qaeda figure in Iraq a myth - U.S. military

Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner told a news conference that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq, did not exist

...

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldnews&storyID=2007-07-18T175617Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-285422-1.xml


The US government cannot account for 190,000 weapons issued to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, according to an investigation carried out by the Government Accountability Office.

According to the July 31 report, the military "cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armour and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces."

The weapons disappeared from records between June 2004 and September 2005, as the military struggled to rebuild the disbanded Iraqi forces from scratch amid increasing attacks from Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

....

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_cannot_account_for_190_000_guns__08012007.html



U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq To Battle Old Qaeda Allies

American commanders in Iraq are arming Sunni Arab groups that promise to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in past; risky strategy is being pursued because four-month-old increase in American troops has shown only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks;
....
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60C14FC3C5B0C728DDDAF0894DF404482

[Rageneau]

5. The American people will accept whatever they are TOLD to accept.

Whaddya think the US is -- a free country or something?

[babylonsister]

7. I know, dumb of me; my utter frustration is showing. nt

[Buck Rabbit]

8. Good statement Admiral !

This kind of talk will help elect the Dem that will fire your ass and prove you wrong.

[stillcool]

9. How long does it take...

to get the land, get the oil, and get it into the pipelines?

[CGowen]

11. Even Brzezinski has his doubts n/t