Top US Commander: We May Have To Stay Longer In Iraq To Combat al-Qaeda

Times London:

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.

Read the whole story: Times London

Comments

[Martampa]

Bulls*%t.

[ChristopherAtom]

The Military Industrial Complex makes it's own schedule, cares nothing of humanity save one thing; it's wealth. It is the largest institution in a small circle of trades that is guaranteed it make massive profit from the killing of humans. Men, women, children all but meat to the cold dead infrared night vision device of the machine.
www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/03/25-11

[newyorkid]

Rahm E_manueI used to work for the lsraeIi army. Hillary supported the vvar eithr. AlPAC controIs the White House.

[NoelGreco]

When will Obama do what he promised?

Blaming Bush just doesn't cut it anymore.

[diwan]

According to an American newspaper only five percent of the insurgencies in Iraq are from al qaeda. Most of them even foreigner. The rest of it is the iraqi population containing bahaists, moderate islamists and nationalists. The majority of them do want to live in peace in an independent iraqi nation. Without the presence of American soldiers al qaeda wont have any arguments to stay there.
Why does this not go into the minds of the politicians??

[judiNJ]

I guess the good General's nose was bent out of shape after President Obama was so wildly greeted by the troops in Iraq. God forbid, someone besides Generals make decisions. I think he better run his "ideas" past his new boss before he opens his mouth.

[Coinyer101]

NO we may NOT stay longer. I will be joining anti-war protests if they try to continue this nonsense. ENOUGH!

[ExRepublican]

You finally woke up, huh?

BUT, as if you have power. As if you are someone of import. Not. All of a sudden, because you say so, were going to 'leave' Iraq!!??

LMAO. You pseudo's are soooooooo full of yourselves. Why are you delusional?

[SamKnause]

Are we ever going to leave? The war was wrong. Can't we admit, that we have no business being there and just leave? The people in Iraq want us out. If the country reverts back to the same situation it was in before we arrived, what will the point of all the deaths be? The people of Iraq have been trained to defend their selves, if they choose not to, what can we do? Stay there forever. I thought when you made a mistake you admit it, and try to correct it. I did not know that you prolong the misery and try to somehow prove you were right. This is just nonsense. There is no logical way to explain why we are still there, or why we need to stay longer.

[offred]

From The Times Online:

"General Odierno, a bald, imposing 6ft 5in, was speaking as he sat outside the back of the Saddam-era mansion that he calls home, next to a man-made lake on a military base in Baghdad."

What's his motivation for getting out of Iraq? Sounds like he's got pretty cushy barracks right there. I think it's ok for field commanders to requisition buildings for business purposes, but I think the field commander should always bunk at night with his troops.

[bleek]

If HuffPost wants its readers to really understand any of these stories, then it should take the picture of Salma Hayek and her boobs down, I for one am wrecked every time I scroll past it.

[Coinyer101]

well, i'm tired of seein' that feller in his skivies, too!

[kimleehan]

When K.L.H. speaks people listen, invest in oil.

[eptfan]

Am I the only one troubled by the increasing frequency with which military personnel appear in the media with comments on policy, often with political overtones? Our military, with some conspicuous exceptions, General MacArthur comes to mind, has been scrupulous about respecting the notion of civilian control. Especially with a "standing army", a professional military rather than a people's army, history suggests there is a greater urgency to meticulous adherence to that constitutional norm.

[nichtviel]

No. I think that the U.S. Military should take over the U.S. Government. They should have done it the day after George Bush was elected.

[youpeoplearefunny]

But what is michelle wearing today?

[AKAMR jones]

See the last 8 years the Dems have been able to say whatever they wanted. Now that the Dems are in power they have to fight the “WAR ON TERROR” those on the left will find out that Bush was smart than they thought. Your boy Barry will be doing a lot of things you are not going to like because when you are in control you have to be an adult and make grown up decisions. We will be in Iraq for a long time.

[KimB3329]

I concur, however killing terrorists will not solve everything. It will only breed more hate. Unfortunately, like most people, I don't have a complete solution, so i'm sticking to this.

[ideasmatter]

"Your boy Barry", and that from "an adult" making "grown up decisions"......

The key point here is what the Iraqi government wants the US to do: if they ask for a prolonged presence in a few regions because of the threat of Al Queda, I think the US should help them. Otherwise this is not a matter of our decision, and certainly not Odierno's: he reports ultimately to the President.

[holeybuybull]

So does the Iraqi government.

[skialethia]

Some surge, huh? Bushie never checked to see if there was water in the pool before he belly-flopped.

[Dupree]

To: AKAMRjones:

Listen LITTLE BOY OR SMALL MAN CHILD:

Etiquette would demand that "your boy Barry" should be addressed as President Obama. The "term war on terror" was enacted by the Bush administra­tion....bu­t one teeny tiny teeny tiny problem.....he went after the wrong one in relation to the attack on 911 and I will never ever allow those that want to spin a wrong into a right get away with that fallacy. Truth indeed has merit and will be shouted from the rooftops drowing out all the voices that would suggest this was a smart move. The smart move would have been to go after Bin Laden then and that remains true today. Three thousands of our citizens are not revenged or justice has yet to come to their door...no matter how many times Saddam Hussien death is evoked...he had absolutely nothing to do with their death and the true master mind killer is still at larged and have been overlooked by the previous admnistration. Now, having opened that Pandora Box...a responsible adult .....coming in after dangerous child play....have to orchestrate an intelligent strategy to leave ..which I have confidence that this administration will have to implement...and we will be out...for it is not our job to police the entire world...but it is our moral obligation to exit carefully.­..consider­ed the recklessness that was demonstated in invading a sovereign nation has already been accomplished.

[hark]

No, you idiot. We have to fight the "enemy" that we unleashed by invading Iraq in the first place.

Ever hear of Pandora?

Of course not. Go do your homework, and learn something.

[liminal67]

Hegemony...

http://pitchbendpost.blogspot.com/