U.S. Will Slow Iraq Pullout if Violence Surges After Vote

[Kyril Enko]

Source: Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—The top U.S. commander in Baghdad said some American combat forces could remain in Iraq after this summer's planned withdrawal date if the country's feuding leaders are unable to quickly form a new government.

The comment from Army Gen. Ray Odierno is one of the clearest indications yet of how closely senior U.S. officials will be watching Iraq's national elections next month for signs of whether the country will be capable of governing itself—and maintaining its current level of security—once American forces head for the exits. U.S. troop levels in Iraq are supposed to fall to 50,000 by the end of August as the overall American mission shifts from direct combat to supporting Iraqi security forces. The remaining U.S. forces are supposed to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Speaking at the Pentagon, Gen. Odierno said he expected all U.S. combat forces to leave Iraq by Sept. 1, reducing American troop levels—already at their lowest point since the start of the war in March 2003—to 50,000. He said the continuing withdrawal was ahead of schedule, as initial plans had estimated there would be 115,000 U.S. troops left in Iraq now instead of the current 96,000.

Still, Gen. Odierno he said, Iraq's uncertain political future meant the next phase of the drawdown could proceed more slowly than initially planned. The commander said he had prepared contingency plans that would leave some combat troops in Iraq past Sept. 1 if the country faced serious political unrest or widespread violence after the vote. "I have contingency plans that I've briefed to the chain of command this week that we could execute if we run into problems," Gen. Odierno said. "We're prepared to execute those."

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575081642107227292.html

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"...if the country faced serious political unrest or widespread violence???" Of course the country's gonna face political unrest and widespread violence!!! It hasn't had anything OTHER THAN political unrest and widespread violence since 2003, DESPITE what our cheerleading media says!!!!!

As for, "We're prepared to execute those," well, General, I could provide you with LOADS of suggestions!

Fuck!

[damntexdem]

1. Most likely; but it should pull out before the vote.

Since Maliki and his ilk have made the vote an empty ritual, they should be set adrift now.

[Don Caballero]

2. President Obama is ending the war in September of 2011.

[Arctic Dave]

3. This were Xe(Blackwater) comes in to stir up trouble.

We will need a reason to stay in Iraq indefinitely. You really don't think we will just let those people have control of their oilfields do you.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Exactly.

All it needs is an excuse. :sarcasm:

[swilton]

5. Key word in title of article - IF

Just fill in the blanks after the word IF ....

As they used to say when I was a child = if ifs, ands and buts were candy and nuts, .we'd all have a merry Christmas.

[CLANG]

6. So what else is new?

[GreenTea]

7. Well then count on the military industrial corporate complex to use the CIA to increase the violence...

Much more profit can be made by corporations & the military if they can prolong wars and start new wars!!

[madrchsod]

8. the us is going to protect the sunni`s and former baath party members

from the iran "backed" shite candidates....


my how that liberation from saddam worked out. iraq is firmly in the influence of the iranian shites....