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

[brandnewstuff]

This is the area Bush Intel screwed on purpose they wanted never ending war-- Poppy and Drug Profileration-- The CIA stash--

[joecoffie]

There they go again. Old men pursuing a 1800's agenda. Read my lips:

''US can never organize PEACE any where in the world.''
The history and reputation is just not there. Even with a world citizen like Obama, we still cannot be trusted. Ok??

Stop killing our young, able-bodied soldiers, of which i am one and served 15 ridiculous months in support of OIF. What freedom?? Ours or theirs??

They do not want us there. Trust me on this.

Any one over the age of 55 should not be speaking as an army employee. OUTDATED MEN

[rr52]

Pull out anyway. The Arabs and Kurds have always been fighting. What will be will be over there regardless of anything we do. We did not enter the war in Iraq to save the people over there to begin with. We went in for oil under the guise of WMD's. When the WMD's coverup didn't pan out, the Bush administration changed the story to one of rescuing the Iraqi's from an evil dictator.

Too bad no one did the same for us--that is rescue us from our own evil dictatorship sooner.

[Vectors]

I seriously doubt Obama will pull out and let the country collapse.

[jdmccl]

Of course he will and cry its Bushes fault as he has been.

[gladys46]

So true! I want our troops out of Iraq ASAP, however, President Obama is considering their safety in this transition!

After we are out of Iraq, it is in the great interest of the Iraqi government & people to stabilize their own country ! The sad part is, GW broke that nation in the first place !

[Vectors]

Your right, because their government was so much better before we came...

[Neoptolomus]

This administration is just like the last one. I think they treat the American people like we are all a bunch of idiots while they laugh their butts off. They don't stand up for the little guy, they are ELITISTS that favor BANKERS. While we become more divided in our political views, they follow the same Agenda that the Bush administration did. OWN

[gladys46]

Just a reminder to teabags of President Obama's thoughts on getting out of Iraq ... he always said that there were bad options and worst options ... which is all GW dropped in his lap !


http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/2007_AFL-CIO_Dems_War_+_Peace.htm

[monicaangela]

So soon the teabag throwers forget. It appears they don't remember who got us into this mess, and during the time he was conducting his personal war, they were talking about, "We know it was a mistake, but we have to protect the troops now that we're there." Now that President Obama is trying to protect the troops and bring us out of the situation with the least amount of problems fro us and the Iraqi people,, they want to quote his campaign mantra of Hope and Change. Well, for those who don't believe this is hope and change, let me just say you're entitled to your opinion, however, in my opinion this is change, and it give me hope for a better future.

0 ;-)

[DACC]

I am encouraging all to google the word "teabagging" today to add a little levity here and view for themselves how this whole thing is gonna really play out on 4/15. Who knew they were into kinky stuff like this :)

[gladys46]

Clearly, if these overused bags had any credibility whatsoever, they'd be discussing these issues, economical, foreign affairs and military messes as all created by GW and as what huge tasks President Obama must clean up as he diligently attempts to back this nation out of a deep republican ditches!!

[sher2x4]

Why does this not come as any surprise?

[DACC]

April 15th:
the day the repubs all got teabagged on a national level

You couldn't pay for this stuff!!!

[only1Demvoter]

DACC : I understood ( from Rachel ) last night... That it was the other way around.

They're gonna be teabagging us !!

:- )

( ... I can't wait... )


-ralph

[DACC]

no, no Ralph, they will be teabaggin' each other. Google the word and you will see why that is so profoundly hysterical!

[rubygreen]

I can't believe they are that clueless they don't know what they are saying, much less that they don't understand what the Boston Tea Party represented.

It's a cover for the anti-President Obama crowd. Unfortunately a lot of people that don't know what's going on will get caught up in it and faux news and the rest of the loons will claim a success.

[ModerateMouse]

Their next protest is going to focused on immigration. They said they are going to throw a nation wide D i r ty Sanchez Party.

[DACC]

lmao!! fanned!!

[hortonhearsawho2]

that does it, I'm voting for Pedro...

[LCLiberal]

Iraq is just as much a fiasco for Obama as it was for Bush. He won't pull the plug fi years, not 18 months...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

[gladys46]

Thanks Gen. surely your Commander-In-Chief, President Obama will take your suggestions under advisement, that is if or when you made/make your statements to him !

[VivaZapata]

What a surprise!

[ModerateMouse]

Al Q a e d a in Iraq is a Bush created phenomenon. Iraq had no connection with Al Q a e d a before we invaded

The logic about having to stay and fight them is about as t o r t u r e d as the teabagger's claim that we should impeach our popular, democratically elected president because he's giving the working class a tax break, that the party that created the economic crisis are better suited to solve it. Absurd.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47812-2004Jun16.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0406/p99s01-duts.html

[Vectors]

Well, Al qaeda itself is a US-created phenomenon.

[ModerateMouse]

O s a m a and Al Q a e d a in Afghanistan were indirectly funded and armed by Reagan and Bush Sr.

[DACC]

for those of us who allow our memory banks to survive rhetoric OBL announced to the world his total denigration for the decision for Bush I to move into Iraq years ago. From his perspective this was sacred ground for which he promised retaliation for..

[SangZe]

So much for "Commander­-in-Chief" I guess.

[Right-turn]

This is Obama's war! Start the draft, our boys are tired. Dems need to be drafted first, they back Obama 100%.

[RickyBalboa]

No, this is Bush's war... and he won it.

Obama is just the housekeeper.

[judyc]

He won it??????!!!!!!!!!

What planet are you living on?

[DACC]

he won it??
well this story must be a non-story then

NEXT???????

[scooperss]

Yep.

[Doomestic]

I suggest you take a left turn...

[VivaZapata]

This is what the right wing does and sometimes it works as in that old saying, if you tell a lie long enough people will start to believe it.

[ModerateMouse]

It Bush/Cheney's w a r.

Funny, both of them ducked service in V ietnam when their country needed them to fight the greatest t h r e a t to freedom and democracy in the 20th century. As did some of Bush's biggest cheerleaders - such as Boss Limbaugh and Squeaky.

[Dupree]

To: Right-turn:

How in the world did a war that was prempted by the Bush Administration becomes Obama's war? The war was ongoing when he stepped into the White House on January 20, 2009. He inherited a war in progression and he can not simply just withdraw without carefully considering the ramifications of that action short-term and long-term. This is an inheritanc­e...gift-w­rapped and hand delivered to him as he entered into the Oval office. I continues to support this President until he gives me reasons not to...I am not of the mindset of the microwaved among us that expects immediate results like a impatient child that lack the ability to grasp complex situation that requires thought before action.

[sandals]

Obama is going to bring troops home and he is taking in all points of view and he will be the one to make the final decision on Iraq.
I agree he has a plan and isn't standing on an Aircraft carrier with a banner stating Mission Accomplished.
He has to clean up the mess from the previous administration, who could have cared less if any of the
troops ever came home.

[VivaZapata]

Remember mccain's comment when asked about the duration of our stay in Iraq? "Make it a hundred [years]."

[haval2]

Get out of Iraq now.

[RickyBalboa]

And leave behind all that oil?

No way!

[tlgeiger62]

And that giant city we built! The US Embassy!

What do you think that will be once we're out?