Speaking at a news briefing today, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford told reporters that President Obama is about to decide on proposals to increase the number of US ground troops in Iraq, saying the decision will come within a matter of weeks.
Last week, Dunford confirmed that multiple proposals had been sent to President Obama, and suggested that the only real question was how many more troops will be sent to Iraq. Nominally, Dunford claimed 3,800 troops in Iraq now.
But that’s just the “official” Pentagon count, which doesn’t cover those the Pentagon classifies as “temporary.” Pentagon officials have conceded in recent weeks that the number of actual ground troops in Iraq is closer to 5,000.
Maintaining the 3,800 facade seems to be based on the diplomatic deal with Iraq, which officially only allows the US a maximum of 3,870 ground troops in Iraqi territory at any given time. The US has far exceeded that figure for months, however, and seems set to just keep escalating its ground presence without negotiating a new deal with Iraq.
Another great neocon quagmire and bloodbath which has spawned the worst terrorists of modern times (excluding the US military, of course) and the largest refugee flows since World War II. Not that the Democrats learned a lesson; it was on to Libya, Syria and Yemen with similar results. God save the world from the Queen of Chaos, Hillary Clinton.
This never-ending cycle of war, killing, and destruction is only
going to get worse if Clintion and her neocons (win) the election.
It’s a joke how the Bush warmongering neocon thugs are supporting
this despicable woman, who also has the backing from the corrupt
banksters, crooks, thieves, and war profiteers.
Broom Hilda has already hinted about (revising) the Iran Deal,
Regime Change in Syria, and escalating the USG debacles in
Iraq, Libya, and Yemen.
Billy is also out on the campaign stump. He figures if Hilly is
busy destroying what is left of the planet, that will give him
more time to hit on little girls and (boys).
You’ve got it right on Clinton but you have to be able to rise above party politics and get it right on Trump too.
But I guess that’s not in the cards now that Jusin has decided to promote Trump.
Either will do fine to unravel the peace Obama and Putin were able to bring to Syria in preventing a US war on Assad. And no new administration is going to join with Europe to ensure the Iran deal holds.
Don G.
Neither party is worth a damn in my opinion. After 30 years,
I believe Dems and Repugs are two sides of the same coin. Both will sell out (us) masses for 30 pieces of silver.
However, if given a choice between Bernie and the rest of
the slop that’s out there, I would probably go with Bernie.
Best regards, EME
The “Iran deal” is not just a deal between the Iran and the United States. It’s a Chapter 7 resolution of the UN Security Council, which makes it binding on all UN member nations.
Or, to put it a different way, the US Senate ratified the “Iran deal” in 1945 and the only way out of it is to withdraw from the UN.
The US is violating an agreement with Iraq with regard to the maximum number of ground troops that may be present, not to mention international law? I am simply shocked!
This is inevitable in a system where others represent us. They can abuse a huge amount of authority in the process. We need a bunch of smaller pure democracies (aka anarchist collectives)