The Media's Premature Celebration of US Withdrawal From Iraq

It has been widely reported that Iraqis are celebrating the withdrawal of US forces from their country. But what the media has failed to emphasize is that 130,000 residual forces will still be operating inside of Iraq, and that President Obama intends to keep as many as 50,000 troops stationed in Iraq until 2011, though that date might change, and that there is no withdrawal timeline for thousands of private contractors.

The 2011 date is tentative as explained by the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen:

"Conditions could change in that period of time. And, if we get to a point where this [Status of Forces Agreement] is agreed to, and have a relationship with the government of Iraq tied to it, that we will continue to have discussions with them over time, as conditions continue to evolve."

Mullen called the 2011 withdrawal date "adequate for what we need now," which sounds more like let's play it by ear. NBC's Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszeswki reported that "one senior military commander told us that he expects large numbers of American troops to be in Iraq for the next 15 to 20 years."

Major US bases in both Mosul and Baghdad, including Camp Victory in Baghdad, a complex housing more than 20,000 troops, will also remain open. Additionally, American combat helicopters and drones will continue to fly over Iraq.

President Obama also has 250,000 "contractors" (some armed, some unarmed) in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Obama increased the number of "Private Security Contractors" working for the Department of Defense in Iraq by 23% in the second quarter of 2009. Overall, contractors now make up approximately half of the "total force in Centcom AOR [Area of Responsibility]."

There are no withdrawal dates for private contractors.

Open military bases, large residual forces, and private contractors all make this celebration of a US withdrawal seem premature at best, and farcical at worst.

Cross-posted from Allison Kilkenny's blog. Also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow Allison Kilkenny on Twitter: www.twitter.com/allisonkilkenny

Comments

[JDM73]

The situation in Iraq pretty much proves once and for all that people pay no attention to the fine print, doesn't it? Just give them the headline "We're leaving Iraq!" and they buy it hook, line, and sinker.
Americans might have elected Barack Obama because they wanted change, but when you can't even process what's happening in front of you and need the media to tell you what it is, you're nowhere near ready for change.

[JoeSchmuk]

Might as well call Iraq the wild west of the middle east. As long as the oil is there, and the western oil interests keep on sucking on its sandy teat, and the sects continue to fight amongst themselves, then expect there to be a US military presence in Iraq.

[myopinion2]

We still have troops in Iraq in part because the Iraqi government wants them there, and they are out of the cities and active combat patrols because Iraq is taking over those functions. So the celebration is warranted. The constant kvetching by our side that the US is always wrong is what drove a generation to Reagan and the republicans. Obama has now wooed the next generation to the Dems. And if the Dems are smart, they will reject the continuous anti-american harping of the left, so they will keep that generation and be able to govern for the economic benefit of the majority of the country.

[viper234]

Haven't heard anything about the OIL CONTRACTS FOR EXXON MOBIL AND BP either!!!!!!!! The TV is very quiet about the big oil profit falling right in line with the phony "withdrawal."

[simplify]

We are going to be as responsible in puling out as we were reckless going in.

[devildog21]

It's not a premature celebration by the media, it's simply more of the inaccurate or outright wrong information we have grown accustomed to with our corporate media.

Show the pretty pictures, but don't tell the whole story...

[radicalcentrist44]

Brian Williams, the voice of the Obama administration, only stated last night that there would still be advisors in Iraq, but did not say how many. Remember, Obama is doing exactly what McCain said would need to be done in Iraq (kind of like how Obama went after McCain for taxing health benefits as ordinary income, which Obama will do under this plan).

[TheBaffler]

"Advisors." What a cute euphemism. It's also the euphemism Obama has use to characterize the additional soldiers he's sending to Afghanistan.

[twofish]

And which Eisenhower called the first troops he sent to Vietnam, and which the trainers of death squads in Central America were called by the Reagan administration. So what's your point? We've always lied and twisted the language when sending out the army to work our will on others.

The Presidency must be like the One Ring of power, warping whoever gets to put it on, no matter who they were before.

[noneIn2008]

You got it. Why is the media not emphasizing the points you note, 130,000 Americans remain and they are being killed every day. The only thing that has changed is that they are now called advisers. Change was in the thesaurus, not in the actions. We must demand changes in actions. Get the Americans out.

[ThesagaciousOne]

Hey, Gunny, I'm just waiting for all the posters to reference "Non Combat Operations," "Non Combat Troops," etc. The concept of "Non Combat Troops" is hilarious. I can just picture it. Your E6 walks into the barracks and says,
"ALL RIGHT! LISTEN UP! Were on the streets today. Uniforms will be your Hare Krishna robes and Smiley buttons. Friendship bracelets are optional."
When did the ground pounders enlist and add pacifist brigades to their line up. I must have missed that recruiting campaign.

---The Truth ---
Every Leg or Grunt, officer or enlisted, in a hostile area, except for corpsman (those guys with the Red Cross on their helmet), has at LEAST his M16 or M9 in his posession. I was an 81B20 i.e. Construction Draftsman (a non combat soldier?). In the office I did not sit around with my M16 on my lap. It was in the rack (~10' away). But when I was in the field you can be damn sure it was with me. I've seen cooks in the field, serving food on the chow line, with M16s slung across their backs. In a fire fight, I never heard anyone yell "Your an 11 Bravo (Infantry) YOU do the shooting!" When there are incoming rounds, everyone is on the line - saving their ass and their buddies.

-More-

[ThesagaciousOne]

-continuation-

To all of you who want to believe that those "Non Combat Troops" are going to be standing around weaponless, flipping peace signs, handing out flowers, and singing kumbaya, I say be blissful in your delusions and ignorance. Non Combat Troops are a construct; an artifice.

A Soldier or Marine, regardless of MOS, is always a fighter, first. If he isn't equipped, trained, ready, able, and willing to fight, when in hostile territory, he will buy the farm - he knows it and so do his MILITARY superiors.

Res ipsa loquitur.

[oldGunny]

We are still in Japan, Germany and Korea 50+ years later.

[devildog21]

Not a good comparison Gunny. There has not been what could be called organized resistance in Iraq since Saddam was removed. If we were still in South Vietnam, do you think we'd still be taking casualties from guerillas?

Yeah, we could stay in Iraq for that long, but the cost in lives and dollars would be a hell of a lot worse than it has been in Japan and Germany.

Besides, if Japan and Germany demanded we leave tomorrow, what do you think we would do?