Officials: US 'combat' troops to exit Iraq by August 2010 - 30,000 to 50,000 to remain until 2011

[bigtree]

53 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, administration officials said Tuesday, ending the war three months later than he had promised during his presidential campaign.

The withdrawal plan — an announcement could come as early as this week — calls for leaving a large contingent of troops behind, between 30,000 and 50,000 troops, to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests.

The contingent remaining will include intelligence and surveillance specialists and their equipment, including unmanned aircraft, according to two administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

The complete withdrawal of American forces will take place by December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all troops.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iIqTxkm4R61mhLR-6kvTK2j9_0bQD96I8QTO0

[spanone]

1. good, i'm sure he's fighting the pentagon all the way to get this done

[bigtree]

2. hey

he chose his dancing partners there

[tangent90]

3. 30-50K to "protect US interests"

No shit.

[G_j]

5. wait...

I thought we there to 'help' the Iraqis.

I'd be interested to know just where that wording came from.
:shrug:

[bigtree]

7. Pres. Obama said that

"As I have often said, I would consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government to ensure that our troops were redeployed safely, and our interests protected."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html?pagewanted=print

[stray cat]

4. He promised a responsible withdrawal - I like responsible

it may be an unredeemable mess but I prefer an inteligent open minded president to deal with it rather than a political simplistic hack ie Bush or McCain

[bigtree]

9. goes without saying to prefer him over Bush or McCain

This is indeed very close to what he promised. Anti-occupation supporters can be excused, though, for hanging on to those slim threads, given the republican alternative in the election after we finished our primary.

But, 50,000 (fully armed and equipped) troops left in Iraq with those nebulous goals about fighting 'al-Qaeda' and 'training Iraqis' stretches the credulity of expectations of a complete withdrawal in 2011.

[ecstatic]

10. exactly! nt

[Arctic Dave]

6. "and to protect U.S. interests." What are our interest exactly?

[bigtree]

8. he's spoken in the past of 'security' interests

. . . and less specifically about just 'interests', so, I hope he spells them out when he presents this plan. I've speculated enough on that word.