Iraq Defense Minister Sees Need For US Troops Until 2018

New York Times:

The Iraqi defense minister said Monday that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on its own to defend Iraq's borders from external threat until at least 2018.

Those comments from the minister, Abdul Qadir, were among the most specific public projections of a timeline for the American commitment in Iraq by officials in either Washington or Baghdad. And they suggested a longer commitment than either government had previously indicated.

Pentagon officials expressed no surprise at Mr. Qadir's projections, which were even less optimistic than those he made last year.

President Bush has never given a date for a military withdrawal from Iraq but has repeatedly said that American forces would stand down as Iraqi forces stand up. Given Mr. Qadir's assessment of Iraq's military abilities on Monday, such a withdrawal appeared to be quite distant, and further away than any American officials have previously stated in public.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[KQuark]

China will be the next great civilization while the US is fighting barbarians at the gates in far away places like Iraq and Iran. China is the biggest benefactor of our need to hold together Imperial America. While the US bankrupts itself and uses China's surpluses to fund our foreign wars, China is building it's military, economy, space program and influence around the world. While the US can only educate our youth enough to become GI's, China is creating an oligarchy of brain trusts to run the mechanism of the Chinese foray into geopolitical dominance. I do not despise the Chinese. I applaud them the new great civilization.

[mamacat]

Why is it that the MSM quotes an appointed minister who's job depends on U.S. support, but not the Iraqi legislature when they ask us to get out of their country?

[robodweeb]

40% of the outsiders fighting in Iraq come from Saudi Arabia.

Bush's buddies.

[robodweeb]

"To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November (2007)." - G.W. Bush 1/07

It's a good thing the surge worked otherwise we might be there till 2019.

[WestLittleRock]

Go Away John Kerry, who cares what you think. You had center stage last time and bombed. I am just waiting for you to say something really stupid which will help HRC

[NotWaldo]

So, Powell was right : you break it, you own it!

[Nyland8]

"Iraq Defense Minister Sees Need For US Troops Until 2018 ... "

Or until his retirement ... whichever comes first.

.

8

[larryfishkorn]

Boy! I bet Donald Rumsfeld must be feeling awfully silly right about now.

Actually, probably not. He has alot to do in his retirement, like count money and whack off to pictures of Abu Graib.

[Spookcatcher]

Who the hell elected him to tell me and MY American Taxdollars what we need, should, or are supposed to do? He needs to crawl back up GHW Bush or the Saudi King's Royal Ass (take his choice) that he originally has sucked up into. Or he can come here (with them) and I will be glad to help him fit up either one of their butts with the help of some well placed shoe leather!

[kevenseven]

Oh. Jesus.

[Ides]

So...they won't be fine by the end of the next presidential term...or the term after that...but halfway through the third term?

No matter who gets elected, this guy wants enough military might to keep the American boot on his people through two party turnovers until the Republicans are in charge again.

[Merg]

Til 2018 Huh. Hmmm...Anybody got Blackwater's phone number? Abdul Qadir has a job for them. We're going home.

[jsarets]

They're going to have to do something to harangue enough bags of flesh into enlisting. That's why the Republicans are opposed to social programs. What Democrats believe we should all receive as taxpayers, Republicans believe we should use as an incentive to convince young people to go and police the world's most dangerous places.

You want a college education? You want health care? You want to retire? You want a path to citizenship? Here's a uniform and an M16, you're going to Iraq!

[researcher]

lets see there are dumb americans and dumber americans.

folks we americans are imperialists pure and simple. 100 dollar a barrel oil iraq is a gold mine. no a diamond mine.

guess who pays for this imperialism. our grandkids.

lets see we are imperialists love war for profits have the largest military complex in the world even bigger than all other industrialized countries combined and we love capitalism.

think the americans will wake up some day and see the "fruits" of capitalism. naw most are too dumb and conditoned.

now tonight repubs make sure you look for that socialist under your bed like your parents looked for that commie.

[FogBelter]

Sorry.