nytimes.com - 2/26/2009
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President Obama’s decision to withdraw the bulk of American troops by 2010 cannot be carried out rigidly. There are still real challenges ahead. >
msnbc.msn.com - 2/26/2009
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org - 2/26/2009
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wonkroom.thinkprogress.org —
Asked about Afghanistan back in November 2003, McCain
stressed that Iraq was the more important effort, but...
that he thought that we would be able to “muddle through” in Afghanistan. Watch it: MCCAIN: I am concerned about it, ...
(more)
McCain Wakes Up To War In Afghanistan
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The Gamble Continues
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan —
... in the 19-month Iraq withdrawal plan that the president is apparently signing off on this week. Withdrawal will barely happen at all this year, as US troops become a kind of last-resort guarantor of order until the December elections. Today, we get the now regular op-ed from O'Hanlon and Pollack telling us that success is just around the corner but that we have "no choice" but to stay for the indefinite future. Plus: Obama will keep up to 50,000 troops in Iraq for ever anyway, so the empire will not end, as it never does. New protectorates like Iraq are like new ...
On January 20, We Shall Commence The Bed For Scraping
Obsidian Wings —
... in the 19-month Iraq withdrawal plan that the president is apparently signing off on this week. Withdrawal will barely happen at all this year, as US troops become a kind of last-resort guarantor of order until the December elections. Today, we get the now regular op-edfrom O'Hanlon and Pollack telling us that success is just around the corner but that we have "no choice" but to stay for the indefinite future. Plus: Obama will keep up to 50,000 troops in Iraq for ever anyway, so the empire will not end, as it never does. ...
Took You for Granted, I Thought that You Needed Me More
Obsidian Wings —
... region.
In some quarters, it is widely assumed that Iraqis' rhetorical opposition to the U.S. military presence belies a begrudging acceptance of U.S. troops as the price of preserving recent security gains. However, gambling on Iraqi support for a continuing foreign military presence would seem to be a risky policy-planning approach that could create the conditions for a hasty withdrawal on highly unfavorable terms.
On these matters, I'll take Hanna over O'Hanlon and Pollack any day of the week. ...
The Next Steps To Get Out Of Iraq
Wonk Room —
... . And today, Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, the Keystone Cops of Iraq policy, argue that the Obama administration should be willing to slow down withdrawals and in effect ignore the SOFA and the referendum. So once again the Beltway debate is being waged in favor of ignoring Iraqi realities in order to keep the U.S. military in Iraq while ...
Weekend Instahoglets
Newshoggers.com —
... -- Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack argue that the Iraq SOFA agreement and the wishes of Iraqis shouldn't be considered binding and that US troops must stay in Iraq for years..."Having just returned from a trip to the country arranged by the top American commander there, Gen. Ray Odierno". ...
Leaving Iraq? Really?
Firedoglake —
... On the same day as Obama’s speech, we already have the “let’s stay in Iraq” crew laying the groundwork for a continuing combat presence - as Cernig writes at ...
Related Content
The Next Steps To Get Out Of Iraq
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org 2/27/2009 — Our guest blogger is Peter Juul , Research Associate at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
Today, the New York Times reports that President Obama plans to withdraw only two combat brigades from Iraq prior to that country’s next national ...
Anbar Rising
mudvillegazette.com 3/12/2009 — Continuing our sixth anniversary review - this post from early October, 2006 was a compilation and examination of events largely ignored (or simply reported as discrete acts of more or less random violence) at the time in Western media. Many would ultimately come to regard the "Awakening" ...
The Beginning of the End? Obama, Gates Outline Iraq Drawdown
attackerman.firedoglake.com 2/27/2009 — Update : In a conference call with reporters immediately after President Obama's Iraq-withdrawal speech , Defense Secretary Bob Gates said that the withdrawal plan has the support of key military leaders.
"I'm obviously very supportive of ...
Iraq
whitehouse.gov 1/20/2009 — IRAQ President Obama and Vice President Biden will responsibly end the war in Iraq so that we can renew our military strength, dedicate more resources to the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and invest in our economy at home. The ...
The Anniversary Party
attackerman.firedoglake.com 3/19/2009 —
photo by jamesdale10
It's eerie and uncomfortable and inappropriate that there isn't much notice that six years ago today the U.S. invaded Iraq. Maybe that's natural now that the Obama administration is ending the war. Maybe it's an indication ...
Iraq 2009 Elections Updates
mudvillegazette.com 2/1/2009 — Peace, high turnout reported at Iraq polls -(CNN) Half of Iraq's eligible voters turned out for peaceful provincial elections this weekend, the election commission said Sunday.
An Iraqi man whose finger has been ink stained after voting makes a ...
Obama gets it right on Iraq
lynch.foreignpolicy.com 2/27/2009 — I thought Obama's speech on Iraq this afternoon was outstanding.It laid out a powerful rationale for the new policy, sent a very clear signal to Iraqis about American intentions, placed American policy firmly within the context of the Status of ...
Re-Arming Iraq
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org 1/15/2009 — Our guest blogger is Peter Juul , a Research Associate at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
In 2008, the Iraqi government went on a military spending spree, signaling its intent to buy large quantities of advanced weapons from the ...
A New Iraq
mudvillegazette.com 1/9/2009 — A view from two Iraqi brothers, a New Iraq Emerges from Tyranny and War (Excerpt):
The headlines for those cynics do not go beyond the throw of a shoe, whereas my headlines look into the future and speak of a new Iraq. My headlines speak of ...
This is What Old Europe Mean by “Finally Getting Involved” in Iraq
no-pasaran.blogspot.com 2/28/2009 — The European Greens are no longer pacifists. What they really aren’t though is realistic about what Europe will actually commit to when they say that it’s time to support their man in the White House when it comes to Iraq, now that they think the ...
Reminder about the Iraq withdrawal —
First Read 2/26/2009
From NBC's Jim MiklaszewskiHowever it may be framed politically, President Obama's decision on U.S. troop levels in Iraq will NOT withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq within the next 19 months.
Senior military and Pentagon officials stress -- ...
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