Hey weren't we supposed to wind down one of bushitler's wars here soon?

[lonestarnot]

Whatever happened to that lie?

[WatsonT]

1. I'm pretty sure Obama has always favored expanding the war in Eurasia

[zipplewrath]

2. SOFA

Bush negotiated troops until December of this year and Obama is sticking to that plan... So far.

I did noticed that the paper listed two troop fatalities in Iraq last week but is listing them as "accidental" or some such "noncombat" designation. I believe we still have 47K troops there.

[Newest Reality]

3. When The Simulation

deletes it, we are supposed to forget about it. It doesn't exist, in that sense.

[EarlG]

4. Here you go

April 1, 2011: The deadline imposed by President Barack Obama for the U.S. to pull its military out of Iraq is nine months away, and Fort Bragg commander Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick is on the front lines of ensuring that timetable is met.

Helmick is in charge of day-to-day operations to train Iraqi security forces – about 300,000 military members and 500,000 police officers – so they can take over for U.S. troops.

After eight years of deployment, all 50,000 U.S. troops, including 750 from Fort Bragg, must be out of Iraq by Dec. 31.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9372417

And in the interests of full disclosure:

April 10, 2011: Eight months shy of its deadline for pulling the last American soldier from Iraq and closing the door on an 8-year war, the Pentagon is having second thoughts.

Reluctant to say it publicly, officials fear a final pullout in December could create a security vacuum, offering an opportunity for power grabs by antagonists in an unresolved and simmering Arab-Kurd dispute, a weakened but still active al-Qaida or even an adventurous neighbor such as Iran.

The U.S. wants to keep perhaps several thousand troops in Iraq, not to engage in combat but to guard against an unraveling of a still-fragile peace. This was made clear during Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit Thursday and Friday in which he and the top U.S. commander in Iraq talked up the prospect of an extended U.S. stay.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42519332/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa

[Javaman]

5. There was an interesting article on Alternet.org about the withdrawal...

Briefly, it went on to say that al sadr is back and is making overtones that the US better hold to its withdrawal schedule otherwise there will be repercussions.

[OnyxCollie]

6. How many contractors are still there?

Department of Defense Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Background and Analysis
Moshe Schwartz
Specialist in Defense Acquisition July 2, 2010

The Department of Defense (DOD) increasingly relies upon contractors to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has resulted in a DOD workforce that has 19% more contractor personnel (207,600) than uniformed personnel (175,000). Contractors make up 54% of DOD’s workforce in Iraq and Afghanistan. The critical role contractors play in supporting such military operations and the billions of dollars spent by DOD on these services requires operational forces to effectively manage contractors during contingency operations. Lack of sufficient contract management can delay or even prevent troops from receiving needed support and can also result in wasteful spending. Some analysts believe that poor contract management has also played a role in abuses and crimes committed by certain contractors against local nationals, which may have undermined U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/uscontractorsinwarzones.pdf

[lonestarnot]

8. Meanwhile back at the rest of Middle East explosion. WTF Pentagon smentagon.

Oh and thanks Earl G!

[gratuitous]

7. We'll be in Afghanistan and Iraq for the rest of your life

Probably your kids' lives, too. The only exception will be if we go completely flat broke first. But the United States has demonstrated that it is nothing if not determined to fully fund our military adventures. We will sacrifice our sick, our aged, our poor, and our children in order to keep the wehrmacht going. So tighten your belts, America! The beast must feed.

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Shhhhh....

don't remind them.