US to stay in Iraq for up to three more years: former top US general

[Khephra]

LISBON (AFP) - The US-led invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) will eventually succeed but US troops will likely have to stay in the country for up to three more years, a former commander of US forces who ran the war in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) said.


Retired US army general Tommy Franks added that he believed the assault by US forces against Fallujah would be a turning point in Iraq and elections will be able to go ahead as planned in the violence-ravaged country in January.


"I said when we started the operation that I thought we would be involved in Iraq in a serious way for three to five years," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.


"Well we are two years into it, I think for another one to three more years we will be involved in helping Iraqis to build their own capability," he added.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1520&ncid=1520&e=4&u=/afp/20041111/pl_afp/iraq_us_fallujah_franks_041111185441

[Cocoa]

1. lots of turning points so far

statue falls
Chemical Ali killed
flight suit
Chemical Ali killed again
Uday/Qusay
Chemical Ali killed again
Saddam capture
Chemical Ali captured
Saddam paraded in front of cameras
Iraqi constitution
Sovereignty
plus I've forgotten some...

[0007]

14. Zarqawi loose a leg

Zarqawi captured
Zarqawi escapes
Zarqawi is pinned down and can't escape
Zarqawi video
Zarqawi is captured
Zarqawi is escapes
Zarqawi days are coming to an end in Fullajah
Zarqawi apparently isn't in Fullajah

[tridim]

2. Couple that with Bush's proclamation that we don't need more troops

and you have the current troops serving back to back to back tours for at least three years. I'm sure the troops are really happy about that.

[PSU84]

3. We'll be there till the oil runs out.

The U.S. is building at least 14 permanent bases in Iraq. This has been reported in the New Yorker and Kerry mentioned it in the first debate. No one seemed to care. Those bases are there so we can defend our access to Iraqi oil, to give us the ability to launch punitive strikes against "state sponsors of terrorism," to allow us to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, to intimidate hostile Arab governments, and last but not least to "defend" Israel. We will be in Iraq in large numbers for many, many years.

Iraq has the second largest proven oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and it has the lowest cost per barrel to pump oil in the world.

A significant factor in deciding to "liberate" Iraq is that our largest oil supplier - Saudi Arabia - is politically unstable. S.A. could undergo a fundamentalist Islamic revolt as happened in Iran in 1979. If that were to occur - and it may, eventually - Saudi oil supplies could be cut off for a significant period of time. Besides being motivated by the Bush family's grudge against Saddam, the invasion of Iraq was largely about establishing a client state - puppet government, if you prefer - in Iraq that would guarantee our access to Iraqi oil and provide a platform from which we could easily attack Syria and Iran if the notion strikes us to do so.....

[Parche]

4. iraq

WHY dont we just make the F-IN country our 51st state
and bring the troops home

[lebkuchen]

5. The military family will be disappointed

First, they thought they'd be home after Saddam was ousted from power. Then, they thought they'd be home when Saddam was captured.

Now, they'll be home when....when....WHEN?

[llmart]

6. I don't believe a f***ing word Tommy Franks says......

We'll be there until we run out of troops or oil, whichever comes first.

[barb162]

7. so many are being hurt and killed, the troops will run out soon I think

and then there will be a draft.

[pinniped]

8. delete

n/t

[AJ BENDER]

9. Franks is a Lying Bush SoS

If he believes we'll be there for only three more years I'd wish he'd tell all of us where he gets the LSD he is obviously on.

Just like the troops were coming home 120 days after the fall of Bagdad....you evil asshole !


SACK OH SHIT WAR CRIMINAL !

[Az_lefty]

10. up to may ass, we'll be there for years to come!

[jpak]

11. At this rate, there will be 4000 be US KIA in I-raq before we pull out

...and after the Shi'ites take over in the subsequent civil war, we will face another hostile dictatorial regime in Baghdad.

Which is why we fought the war in the first place.

Circular Chimp Logic requires unwavering denial of reality and buckets of blood...

[IndianaGreen]

12. The Iraq War will still be an issue in 2008

and we better be prepared to fight for an antiwar plank in the 2008 Democratic platform.

[Javaman]

13. We're going to win this thing any day now, any day....any day...

Call me naive, but I'm continually surprised at the level of stupidity that is displayed on a daily basis by this administration. Just when I think that have said the most idiotic thing, they go out and top themselves. Nothing like a free source of constant entertainment.

[not fooled]

15. we will all be dead before the US gets out of Iraq

Sorry for all of the naive citizens who believed the lies told by * and his cadre. We will all be long gone before the US gets out.

[sonicx]

16. right...and the Iraqis will welcome us with flowers...

[denverbill]

17. They said the same about Vietnam.

Only a few more troops and we'll be able to guard the whole country.

Only a few more troops and we'll be able to cut their supply lines.

Only a few more years and South Vietnam can defend itself.

[maddezmom]

18. with all those bases we're building over there...

there isn't now or was there ever a plan to leave. :(

[whistle]

19. With fourteen permanant new U.S. military bases being constructed....

...in Iraq, three years is an under-estimate. Try 30 years which will be about how long Iraq's oil supply will hold out.