Gates: US troops could remain in Iraq after 2011By ROBERT BURNS AP National Security Writer © 2011 The Associated Press
April 8, 2011, 1:50PM
MOSUL, Iraq — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, visiting Iraq on the eve of the eighth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, said Friday the United States would entertain a wide range of requests from Iraq to extend the U.S. troop presence.
After meeting with Massoud Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Gates told reporters that the Kurds are interested in an extended U.S. military presence, although the central government in Baghdad has publicly indicated it believes Iraqi security forces can stand on their own after the scheduled U.S. departure Dec. 31.
"I have the impression that there is interest, so I'm hopeful that Iraqi leaders will consult and let us know one way or the other," Gates said. Gates said he told the Kurds as well as senior Sunni and Shiite leaders in Baghdad, "time is running out."
Shortly before Gates spoke, Iraqi forces stormed an Iranian exile camp that Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has tried for years to close, and both sides reported casualties in the raid. Gates said he was not immediately sure of the number of casualties.
unhappycamper comment: Iraq is the never ending occupation.
Are we going to pay for the occupation with Iraqi oil revenues? Or are we going to pay in more teachers, more firemen and more policemen being laid off?