Combat operations in Iraq will end on Aug. 31, 2010

[JBond]

Obama Sets 2010 Date for Ending Iraq War

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/firs...ding-iraq-war/

President Obama told top leaders in Congress on Thursday that he will end combat operations in Iraq on Aug. 31, 2010, putting a halt to all U.S.-led counterinsurgency efforts and transitioning the mission in Iraq to training, advising and engaging in limited counter-terrorist operations, congressional sources tell FOX News.

The president is expected to deliver a speech Friday at the Marine base in Camp Lejeune, N.C, in which he will order an immediate drawdown of the 142,000 Marines and Army personnel in Iraq. He has set a goal of reducing the U.S. military footprint in Iraq to no fewer than 35,000 and no more than 50,000 personnel after that date, congressional leaders were told.

The president met at the White House with top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, as well as the leaders of the National Security and Foreign Policy committees to explain his decision.

The president told lawmakers troops that remain in Iraq after Aug. 31, 2010, will carry out new missions and will be trained and organized in a way that de-emphasizes combat-readiness and intensifies the focus on these three missions:

Train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces
Support civilian operations in Iraq aimed at reconstruction, redevelopment and political reconciliation
Conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions.
The president told lawmakers the plan, which ends combat operations 19 months after he was sworn in as president, represented the consensus advice he received from Defense Secretary Robert Gates; the Joints Chiefs of Staff; Army Gen. Ray Ordierno, the top military commander in Iraq, and Gen. David Petaeus, head of U.S. Central Command.

The meeting comes after leaders of both parties raised concerns about Obama's intention to leave up to 50,000 troops in Iraq after combat operations cease.

"I have been one who has called for significant cutbacks in Iraq for some time. And I am happy to listen to the secretary of defense, the president, but when they talk about 50,000, that's a little higher number than I had anticipated," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters before heading into the meeting with the president.

It wasn't immediately clear if the meeting reassured Reid and other Democratic leaders who were surprised that the number was so high.

[Beast_from_East]

Not surprising news, doesnt SOFA (status of forces agreement) state ALL TROOPS have to leave Iraq by 2011?


This announcement is just the start of the phased withdrawl in accordance with SOFA, not a new policy in my opinion.

[JBond]

Why is he keeping up to 50,000 troops there? 60,000 troops engaged in a newly expanded war in Afghanistan and 50,000 troops left in Iraq. When are all the troops coming home?

Obama is the master of saying one thing and doing the complete opposite.

[Beast_from_East]

Originally Posted by JBond

Why is he keeping up to 50,000 troops there? 60,000 troops engaged in a newly expanded war in Afghanistan and 50,000 troops left in Iraq. When are all the troops coming home?

Obama is the master of saying one thing and doing the complete opposite.

I believe SOFA states that ALL US TROOPS have to leave Iraq by 2011, so there is your answer on Iraq.


As far as Afganistan, I think they are going to be sending additional troops, probably the ones leaving Iraq will be sent to Afganistan.

When will we leave Afganistan???....I have no idea.

[JBond]

Originally Posted by Beast_from_East

I believe SOFA states that ALL US TROOPS have to leave Iraq by 2011, so there is your answer on Iraq.


As far as Afganistan, I think they are going to be sending additional troops, probably the ones leaving Iraq will be sent to Afganistan.

When will we leave Afganistan???....I have no idea.

Obama came out today and said the opposite. He claims 50,000 "advisers" are staying indefintely in Iraq. So Obama is leaving 110,000 American military personnel in the middle east after promising to withdraw all troops and criticizing Bush and Clinton for an illegal war. He is full of crap. How can you tell Obama is lying? His mouth is moving.

[Hoofbite]

Originally Posted by JBond

Obama came out today and said the opposite. He claims 50,000 "advisers" are staying indefintely in Iraq. So Obama is leaving 110,000 American military personnel in the middle east after promising to withdraw all troops and criticizing Bush and Clinton for an illegal war. He is full of crap. How can you tell Obama is lying? His mouth is moving.

I don't ever recall him saying he was going to pull people out of Afghanistan.

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

I don't ever recall him saying he was going to pull people out of Afghanistan.

He also said we'd leave forces behind in Iraq. None of this is a surprise.

[Viper]

Originally Posted by Ozzu

He also said we'd leave forces behind in Iraq. None of this is a surprise.

That's not what MSNBC says:

[sbark]

gave a 20+ minute speech.....could not even utter the words "democracy" in terms of Irag, and could not even hint at GW success with the surge.....

but I guess a democracy here is the last thing he wants, so why would he praise a democracy in Irag at this point........

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by Viper

That's not what MSNBC says:

Either my memory is very badly faulty or MSNBC is wrong. I remember him saying numerous times that he was going to leave some troops there.

[Viper]

Originally Posted by Ozzu

Either my memory is very badly faulty or MSNBC is wrong. I remember him saying numerous times that he was going to leave some troops there.

That's funny, because I remember him saying we would be out of Iraq in 16 months.

Honestly, the DEM's used this war to gain power, now that they have that power staying in Iraq will be the "right" thing to do.

[Beast_from_East]

Originally Posted by Viper

That's funny, because I remember him saying we would be out of Iraq in 16 months.

Honestly, the DEM's used this war to gain power, now that they have that power staying in Iraq will be the "right" thing to do.

Obama said he would withdraw all COMBAT TROOPS by 16 months from Iraq.

He never said ALL TROOPS and he never mentioned Afganistan.

[Beast_from_East]

Originally Posted by JBond

Obama came out today and said the opposite. He claims 50,000 "advisers" are staying indefintely in Iraq. So Obama is leaving 110,000 American military personnel in the middle east after promising to withdraw all troops and criticizing Bush and Clinton for an illegal war. He is full of crap. How can you tell Obama is lying? His mouth is moving.

No he didnt say the opposite.

He said that all COMBAT TROOPS would be withdrawn by Aug 2010, but a residual group between 35,000 to 50,000 would stay in accordance with SOFA.

This residual group would remain from Aug 2010 to Dec 2011. That is because SOFA states ALL US TROOPS have to leave Iraq by December 31st, 2011.


Obama stated during the campaign that troop levels in Afganistan needed to be increased and an additional 17,000 have already been ordered to the region. There is currently no timetable for Afganistan.

[ninja]

Enemy combat operations won't cease on that date and will continue for a long time after that. So I guess the 50,000 American troops will sit on the sidelines and watch. This will prove interesting.

[Viper]

Originally Posted by Beast_from_East

Obama said he would withdraw all COMBAT TROOPS by 16 months from Iraq.

He never said ALL TROOPS and he never mentioned Afganistan.

Just like I said, Iraq will be okay once Bush is gone