Reports coming out of Fox News today have the Obama Administration poised to announce its post-December troop levels for Iraq and, in a move that will surprise virtually no one who was paying attention, that number is more than the “zero” mandated by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
Instead, the US will keep around 3,000 troops in Iraq, a major reduction from current levels and also much lower than the 27,000 troops the US generals currently in charge of the occupation sought. This is separate from any Defense Department contractors remaining in the country as well as the massive State Department “army” of 5,100 contractors planning to remain.
“There is almost no room for security operations at that number; it will be almost purely a training mission,” one official claimed, adding that some troops would continue to carry out “counter-terrorism” operations.
Spinning the continued US presence as a (mostly) training mission should please Prime Minister Maliki, who has repeatedly insisted he doesn’t need parliamentary approval to keep US trainers in the nation. Parliament was deeply divided over the prospect of a continued occupation, and such a vote was expected to be difficult.
Call it what you will, but the sad truth is that US troops are staying and will continue to be killed there.
Training?
How many training classes would 3,000 instructors be able to teach? What are the subjects? How long is the class year? How many students in each class? What are the hours of instruction? How long will all this training take? Will there be a graduation ceremony? Is this training to go on forever?
Why are we still "training"? Where I work the people I trained 8 years ago are capable of training others. To be honest though the 3,000 number is a shock. I didn't expect a complete withdraw but I thought the generals would get their way. Of course things could change and not for the better.
I'm confused. Is Obama actually standing up to the CIA and military and going against them?
Well, 3000 is a lot fewer than 27,000. Fewer than I expected. But probably, the mercenaries, the State Department "army" and the CIA / JSOC boys have it all covered.
Every American in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and everywhere in the U.S. Military is a mercenary, none are drafted. They all sign up, for whatever. Soon it may be for less money, less GI Bill stuff, but for a green card.
The remaining boots are nothing more than a door stop for future offenses. A tripwire of excuses.
Has Anybody ever known the US to honor any Treaty or Committment. The Treaty signed by George the LESSER, required All US Troops out this Year, not almost All. The US is like that long lost Uncle that shows up for a short visit and after several Days demands the Master Bedroom and announces He likes it here ad is goig to stay till Death and than award the Estate to His Wife.
Funny Iraq was fully functional and a secular country before the USA blew the crap out of it and killed hundreds of thousands of people. Now it's a fundie muslim madhouse.
So this is just a re-election strategy?
but there are still so many Iraqis left America hasn't killed!
there are still portions of the country that get water and electricity ALMOST regularly, and some places where people are employed!!
wait! YOU DIDN'T FINISH DESTROYING THE COUNTRY AND KILLING OFF ITS INHABITANTS YET!!!
There is something up Americas sleave.Don't have a clue what but they are not doing this for the good of civilians or there soldiers.And not just civilians in Iraq or the ones in America.Sopmethings going on thats for sure.
While of course I'd favor getting the hell out of there completely, 3000 is actually a pretty low number.
If you take the attitude that (at least in the present) we gotta work with the leaders we have, not leaders we wish we had, this is (relatively speaking) very good news. A much smaller number than I thought would come up.
All that's garbage, of course, if there's a lot more than 3000 if you add in contractors etc.
How many "contractors" will remain? Currently there are 60,000.
Obama and Hilllary have been itching to train more forces on China. Perhaps now is their moment.
But the Isaelis will not like it one bit until Iran is finished off.
There is no end to the machinations of Empire until the Empire is ended. Let's get busy and elect Ron Paul.
He needs the troops for his African adventures.
I think I'll wait until January 1st before I go and get all giggly over any numbers. By then, we should also have a clearer grasp on the numbers that make up that category of DoD "contractors" and State Dept "contractors."
I wanted to write how outrageous such a headline ""Obama" to keep" should be to my Rep. (Owens) because the US Army does not belong to the chief executive of-the-moment. No friends, the US Army – warts and all – belongs to YOU & ME, citizens of this Republic, and any usage are our decisions and exercised through our Representatives.
But then I remembered how the Legions of Rome continued to carry SPQR (For the People & Senate of Rome) centuries after such sentiment had been slain by reality.
It will be nice if they leave Irak totally as they have been known as killers. Naturally Maliki is a traitor.
America has enough black water killer machine of america
“A U.S. Army helicopter brigade is set to pull out of Baghdad in December, as part of an agreement with the Iraqi government to remove U.S. forces. So the armed helicopters flying over the Iraqi capital next year will have pilots and machine gunners from DynCorp International, a company based in Virginia.
On the ground, it's the same story. American soldiers and Marines will leave. Those replacing them, right down to carrying assault weapons, will come from places with names like Aegis Defence Services and Global Strategies Group — eight companies in all.
As U.S. Military Exits Iraq, Contractors To Enter
by Tom Bowman
http://www­.npr.org/2011/05/17/136357821/as-u-s-military-exits-iraq-contractors-to-enter
Keep in mind this is just security for our "diplomats"
This is another much larger group of contractors. (who carry guns too)
In 2nd quarter FY 2011, USCENTCOM reported approximately 173,644 contractor personnel working for the DoD in the USCENTCOM AOR. The number of contractors outside of Iraq and Afghanistan make up about 11% of the total contractor population in the USCENTCOM AOR.
http://civiliancontractors.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/overseas-contractor-count-for-second-quarter-2011/
So are we realy supposed to believe this is ending anytime soon?”
My army training lasted six month. I was promoted to the rank of sergeant after a year and than had to train new recruits. Sadam had a well trained army at the time. Who is fooling who ?
I have to wonder if they are taking volunteers to stay over or if they're just assigning a few units en masse to be walking targets.
Now as for the 'mostly training' troops- exactly which ones are assigned training duties, and which ones are assigned combat duties? Will the trainers live in secured compounds have be unarmed, since we're there by invitation and welcomed with open arms and have noting to fear from the locals? How will the 'combat' troops get around? By helicopter (you need air assets for that, with all the assorted maintenance and fuel personnel)? Or will the yget around by wheeled or tracked vehicle (you still need maintenance and fuel assets and all the assorted maintenance and fuel personnel for that)?
Does this 3000 figure INCLUDE all support troops (cooks, engineers, water specialists, fuel handlers, supply sergeants, and the Kaiser's batman)? Or are we to assume the support personnel are either a) additional military to be on hand to forward the mission, or b) civilian contractors being paid top dollar to do what our soldiers have done for themselves for generations ?
There is, and has been, a complete contempt for "we the people", and the truth about the Iraq war…and how it was started… 911, the Niger Uranium forgery, the stove-piped LIES to the Moron Prince….. it was all carefully choreographed, but we will never learn any of the facts from our puppet rulers… We are far better-off following the sketchy Alex Jones to the truth………
"Senator Demands Answers On Government Anthrax Investigation Mystery"; …."Wants to know why DOJ quickly retracted court statements that contradicted official FBI story"
"Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, who has long questioned the legitimacy of the FBI’s findings in the case, wrote Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller this [Sept 6, 2011] week, regarding a filing by Justice Department civil lawyers in July that noted that the Army’s biodefense center at Fort Detrick, Md., “did not have the specialized equipment in a containment laboratory that would be required to prepare the dried spore preparations that were used in the letters.” It's here: http://www.prisonplanet.com/senator-demands-answe… P.S. Many, Many links in this article…..Vids too…!!
The USA should pull every god damn troop out of Iraq at the end of this year, as agreed to by President Bush. American presence in Iraq is not good for them, not good for us and not good for the world. Why is heavens name would Obama agree with such a plan. The sooner we get out of Iraq and Afghanastan, the sooner we will be somewhat more safer from terrorist attacks. Our domineering approach to world affairs has made the US much more vulnerable to hatred from Arab and other countries. Please get smart Obama and do the right thing.
We have 3,000 troops in EVERY Country on the planet, Hundreds guarding Embassies 24 hrs a day, Probably 3,000 more in every Country on Earth visiting relatives, sightseeing, passing through, I see 3,000 troops in Iraq as an absolute minimum, But NOT in a war capacity, They should only be guarding American interest & embassies and promoting America as a friend and ally of ALL humanity.