US Troops Engage in Combat in Baghdad

"Non-Combat" Troops in Gun Battle as 12 Killed at Military HQ

by Jason Ditz, September 05, 2010

In the most sobering reminder yet that the Iraq War quite simply is not over, the US troops that the Obama Administration carefully redefined as “non-combat” soldiers engaged in heavy combat today in the city of Baghdad.

During the attack on the Iraqi military headquarters in the city, the Iraqi miliary called in a request for ground troops as well as attack helicopters, drones and explosives experts. The attack ended with at least 12 people killed and dozens wounded.

Major attacks in Iraq are nothing new, and they have been happening with alarming frequency over the past several months. The fact that the US “non-combat” troops were called in for what was most assuredly a combat mission, less than a week after President Obama assured everyone that the combat mission was “over” must certainly raise a few eyebrows.

Roughly 50,000 US troops remain in Iraq and officials are expecting to be called on to stay past the end of 2011. In addition the US has an ever-increasing number of security contractors also engaging in combat missions, which are expected to stay for many, many years.

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