Obama to withdraw most troops from Iraq by August 2010.
By on Feb 24th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Obama to withdraw most troops from Iraq by August 2010.
President Obama is expected to announce this week that he will withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010, 19 months after his inauguration. Obama’s plan will initially leave a “residual force” of 30,000 to 50,000 troops. “A further withdrawal will take place before December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all American troops.” Obama was also considering 16-month and 23-month timetables; the 19-month time frame was reportedly a “compromise.”
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It has been long awaited!
February 24th, 2009 at 7:03 pmYeah….bring them home and out of that illegal, immoral war of choice by the WAR CRIMINALS, Bush and Cheney.
Finish the job in Afghanistan, then get out of there also.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:08 pmAnd that will be the end of the gravy train for Erik Prince and Blackwater (now bizarrely renamed “Xe”).
February 24th, 2009 at 7:12 pmAnd the trolls say:
Hahaha you stoopid libs fell for it! The Messiah is keeping troops in iraq –
oh. never mind.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:19 pmBlackwater…(now bizarrely renamed “Xe”).
I think it must help their recruits go from being Game-Boys to gun boys.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:26 pmThis plan seems entirely reasonable to me. While there will likely never be perfect peace in Iraq, in 19 months the government will be that much more stable, the military that much more seasoned in counter-terrorism…I hope it works! We can certainly use the money for other things and our soldiers will be out of harms way.
Soooo much can happen though….
February 24th, 2009 at 7:29 pmSoooo much can happen though….
Really. All it will take is one Israeli air raid on Iran and those troops are seriously in harms way.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:32 pmralph the wonder llama,
No, no, the braindead, kool-aid drinking Bush cultists & blind followers will probably
sayscreech something along the lines of“Why oh why does Obama want to lose in Iraq!?”
(flashbacks from 2006)
February 24th, 2009 at 7:33 pmNevar Says:
——————————————————————————–
Soooo much can happen though….
Really. All it will take is one Israeli air raid on Iran and those troops are seriously in harms way.
Yep. And that is a very real possibility…things are always one event from catastrophe in the Middle East.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:35 pmBut this commitment also has the effect of oil on the troubled waters of all the factions over there… we can’t be controlled by what Israel may or may not do anymore, it has been very costly.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:43 pmSKdeA Says:
——————————————————————————–
But this commitment also has the effect of oil on the troubled waters of all the factions over there… we can’t be controlled by what Israel may or may not do anymore, it has been very costly.
Well, if Bush wouldn’t open Iraqi airspace to Israel for a strike on Iran, you can be sure Obama won’t. But I doubt we will engage their attack jets, either. The question is whether Iran, when push comes to shove, really wants to open fire on our bases in Iraq. Were they to do so, we would reply, and that could easily be the end of the regime. They’d counter strike Israel for sure…unfortunately, Israel’s new government seems pretty likely to attack. In other words, SNAFUBAR in the “Holy Land”.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:47 pmI don’t think Iran is all that interested in attacking anyone.
They talk tough because they have to with our 600 pound gorilla next door, but their population has gotten used to being stable and prosperous, and still remember the trauma od the 70s. So it wouldn’t be of their instigation.
Of course, I wouldn’t put it past the crazy right-wingers to have Blackwater (Oh, excuse me “XE”) create an incident. Must make money after all…
February 24th, 2009 at 7:52 pmod=of
February 24th, 2009 at 7:53 pmI don’t think Iran has ever been interested in attacking anyone.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:57 pmThey fought a devastating war with Iraq only because the US supplied Saddam Hussein with weapons and egged him on.
Keltoi at Night Says:
The question is whether Iran, when push comes to shove, really wants to open fire on our bases in Iraq.
I would say this is highly unlikely.
Iranians are the bad boys because successive administrations have cast them in that role, even though they have made overtures to try to normalize diplomatic relationships.
Plus, whatever you think of the Iranian regime, one thing they are not is suicidal -openly launching an attack on US military bases anywhere is a death wish… my bet is on the Iranians being very much aware of this fact.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:00 pmi’ll see it when i believe it.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:02 pm——————————————————————————–
Nevar Says:
——————————————————————————–
I don’t think Iran has ever been interested in attacking anyone.
They fought a devastating war with Iraq only because the US supplied Saddam Hussein with weapons and egged him on.
I agree with you both. But Netenyahu has specifically said Israel won’t allow Iran to go nuclear. And the UN just said Iran has enough processed uranium to make one if they refine it further. It seems like we are headed to a train wreck unless Israel or Iran backs off their positions. If struck, Iran will counter strike, their hardliners would demand it.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:02 pmIf they refine it further—which requires a whole different industry that cannot easily be hidden.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pmLet’s hope that timetable can be moved up, and us the hell out.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pmeven if they pull troops out our bases are already established. and yet we continue to beat the wardrum and tell the story of iran.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:13 pm30-50,000 troops to guard our embassy (and that’s the only reason we should have a military presence)?
Seems like too many, and should a large amount be needed for an emergency (and it better be one hell of an emergency), they can’t be brought in from somewhere else in the region (Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, etc.)?
Not good enough, Mr. President. You can do better than this.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:17 pmI guess that free market venture worked or maybe it didn’t. Thank you Mr. President. The troops have done too much for the crime family, Boosh.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:29 pmI’d like to see them all come home now, but I’m sure many troops are happy to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:43 pmHey, my birthday is in August!
February 24th, 2009 at 9:28 pmEnd the US criminal, imperial, illegal occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq now. Stop the drone murders of Pakistanis.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:37 pmWe have never been attacked by Iraqis, Afghanis, or Pakistanis.
I’m still awaiting the change I voted for – out of Iraq, no more torture, return to Civil Liberties, etc. More and more, Obama’s position seems to be the only change we’re going to see on these issues……
February 24th, 2009 at 9:42 pmHALLELUJAH!!!
Hot Damn!
Thank You Mr. President!
February 24th, 2009 at 10:09 pmSorry, what?
Did we miss the news that under the Obama administration Blackwater was not still the favourite of the State Dept, or did that simply not happen?
I’m not sure if you’ve been paying attention (even to this very post), but the only announcements on this front from Obama have been that he will be withdrawing US troops and increasing the diplomatic mission.
If you think that means less Blackwater and not more, you need some math lessons.
February 25th, 2009 at 9:07 amWell, no.
Iraq invaded Iran without US support. There wasn’t really a period when Iran put up with that until the US backed Saddam and that really tipped the scales for them into it being unacceptable.
BTW, they’re the world’s premier sponsor of terrorist groups and have over the past decade fought numerous wars by proxy, most of which targetted Israel. They’re as uninterested in fighting wars in the same way that the US was in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
Could you say with a straight face that while sponsoring and supplying the Muj in Afghanistan, that the US had no interest in attacking Russians? If not, why does Iran get to sponsor 6 flavours of groups attacking Israel to the point where they culminate in all out war every couple of years while you claim they have no interest in that?
BTW, I couldn’t care less about Israel, but BS is BS. And you’re talking it.
February 25th, 2009 at 9:19 amHow many of the 180,000+ mercenaries will be withdrawn?
February 25th, 2009 at 11:11 amI heard many Dems criticize this because it still leaves troops on the ground and is 3 months longer than he promised.
I think that is foolish thinking.
Some troops were always said to have to remain (whether it is 30,000 or 50,000) has not been announced. As for going 90 days longer than we hoped, I think this was the result of many consultations with Gates and the generals.
This has not yet been announced as the official plan, so I think we must wait to see how long, how many, and hear the explanation.
We elected Obama because of his pragmatism and vision – we won’t always agree with everything – we should keep the whole picture in mind.
February 25th, 2009 at 11:53 amHey Drones! Listen UP!
Thanks to President Bush and General Petraeus, we WON! Makes it kinda easy for our new President dontcha think?
February 25th, 2009 at 8:47 pmTim Vaculik Says:
HEY MORON listen up OF COURSE WE WON THE WAR. We have the most dominant military in the history of the world and we were fighting a third world nation we won the completely unecessary war in about 4 weeks you simpering baboon. The OCCUPATION on the other hand was a disaster. We only made progress when we paid off the militias and got out of the way. You are too stupid to be believed. The only thing President Gump is great at is screwing up and only morons like YOU are still Bush idolotors.
February 26th, 2009 at 6:49 am