U.S. COMMANDER SAYS TROOPS IN IRAQ MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE ON SCHEDULE
Deborah Haynes, Times UK - The activities of al-Qaeda in two of Iraq's most troubled cities could keep US combat troops engaged beyond the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, the top US commander in the country has warned.
US troop numbers in Mosul and Baqubah, in the north of the country, could rise rather than fall over the next year if necessary, General Ray Odierno told The Times in his first interview with a British newspaper since taking over from General David Petraeus in September.
He said that a joint assessment would be conducted with the Iraqi authorities in the coming weeks before a decision is made.
Combat troops are due to leave all Iraqi cities by the end of June. Any delay would be a potential setback for President Obama, who has pledged to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 as he switches his focus to Afghanistan.
The ultimate decision on keeping or withdrawing troops would be taken by Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, handing him a big dilemma, given the desire by most Iraqis for the US military to leave the country. . .
General Odierno, 54, said that he was also concerned about the risk of renewed conflict between Arabs and Kurds in northern Iraq, where tensions are rising over the ownership of territory. He also cited the "very dangerous" threat posed by Iranian-funded militants, who appear to be styling themselves on Lebanon's Hezbollah.
US troop numbers in Mosul and Baqubah, in the north of the country, could rise rather than fall over the next year if necessary, General Ray Odierno told The Times in his first interview with a British newspaper since taking over from General David Petraeus in September.
He said that a joint assessment would be conducted with the Iraqi authorities in the coming weeks before a decision is made.
Combat troops are due to leave all Iraqi cities by the end of June. Any delay would be a potential setback for President Obama, who has pledged to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 as he switches his focus to Afghanistan.
The ultimate decision on keeping or withdrawing troops would be taken by Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, handing him a big dilemma, given the desire by most Iraqis for the US military to leave the country. . .
General Odierno, 54, said that he was also concerned about the risk of renewed conflict between Arabs and Kurds in northern Iraq, where tensions are rising over the ownership of territory. He also cited the "very dangerous" threat posed by Iranian-funded militants, who appear to be styling themselves on Lebanon's Hezbollah.
posted by TPR | 1:49 PM
3 Comments:
Here we go again with the Al Queda in EYErack crap again. With Brzezinski, Kissinger, Petreaus, Gates and the rest of those lying crapheads hanging around the (spare) change we can believe in figurehead prettyboy, I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy surprised.
Ramsey Clark feels our first priority is prosecuting Bushco for starting an illegal war with false intelligence. Obviously that's not going to happen until Obama is impeached. This congress isn't ever doing that . Too bad there's no way to recall a US prez. In another few months there'll be enough unemployed Americans to do that.
Here we go again with the Al Queda in EYErack crap again. With Brzezinski, Kissinger, Petreaus, Gates and the rest of those lying crapheads hanging around the (spare) change we can believe in figurehead prettyboy, I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy surprised.
Ramsey Clark feels our first priority is prosecuting Bushco for starting an illegal war with false intelligence. Obviously that's not going to happen until Obama is impeached. This congress isn't ever doing that . Too bad there's no way to recall a US prez. In another few months there'll be enough unemployed Americans to do that.
Apparently US intelligence believes Al Queda has two billion members, and I guess the dumb fuckers in Washington are working hard to make that happen.
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