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The Rude Pundit — ... "Speaking as a military parade marking the event was held deep inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said, 'The national united government succeeded in putting down the sectarian war that was threatening the unity and the sovereignty of Iraq.' He made no mention of the American military’s involvement in fighting here for the last six years, and more than 120,000 American troops remain on Iraqi soil. ...
Holiday in Iraq
Neptunus Lex —
Most US combat troops redeployed outside Iraqi cities today as scheduled:
Iraq declared a public holiday Tuesday to celebrate the official withdrawal of American troops from the country’s cities and towns, emptying the streets as many people stayed home because they feared violence.
As Iraqi officials’ celebrations went on, the American military announced the death of four soldiers on Monday from combat operations in Baghdad, a reminder of the continuing vulnerability of soldiers as they wrap up operations in the field.
In the ...
We're Still at War: Photo of the Day for June 30, 2009
MoJo Blog Posts: mojo —
... U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Casey (center), commander of 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, sits with Lt. Col. Hassan (front), commander of 2nd Battalion, 12th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, during the turnover ceremony of Multi-National Force - Iraq, Combat Outpost Power in the Aden District of Mosul, Iraq, June 7. Tuesday was the official deadline for US troops to leave Iraqi cities. (Photo courtesy ...
Iraq's 'National Sovereignty Day' is U.S.-Style Hallmark Hype
Commondreams.org Views —
... 10 top non-state oil companies are competing for licenses to help develop six oil fields and two natural gas fields."While the U.S. has hyped up the "handover" to the Iraqis, it is largely a show. Underscoring that point, the top US military commander in the Iraqi capital, Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, handed over the keys to the former Iraqi Defense Ministry to an Iraqi military commander and spoke of how now "Iraqis take the lead in Baghdad." To keep up appearances, the US military, according to The New York Times , has begun "ordering soldiers to remain in garrison for the ...
Allison Kilkenny: The Media's Premature Celebration of US Withdrawal From Iraq
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com —
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 ...
CELEBRATE
The Page by Mark Halperin —
Associated Press Iraqi government establishes public holiday to mark the occasion of U.S. troop withdrawals Tuesday. Earlier: PM Maliki seeks to ...
Update: U.S. Troop Pullback in Iraq—Cheney’s Dark Words and Thoughts
The Moderate Voice —
The day marking the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities and towns, has been declared a national holiday, and Iraqis are celebrating. Of course everyone is hoping that the pullback and the eventual withdrawal of all 130,000 U.S. troops from Iraq will not lead to more violence, or worse.
Sadly, The New York Times already reports:
As if on cue, a car bomb exploded in a crowded outdoor market in the northern city of Kirkuk late Tuesday, killing at least 24 people, in a deadly reminder that the violence here will ...
Obama Quietly Marks Troop Withdrawal in Iraq
The Caucus —
President Obama marked the withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraqi towns and cities with little fanfare on Tuesday, using a ceremony in the East Room of the White House to declare the day “an important milestone’’ even as he warned of “difficult days ahead.’’ Mr. Obama ran for office on a vigorous campaign of bringing an end to the Iraq war. But the withdrawal did not command its own presidential appearance; instead, Mr. Obama offered a brief and somewhat muted assessment of the day’s events at the outset of a ceremony intended to honor entrepreneurs who are committed ...
34 killed in Iraq double suicide bombing
Jihad Watch —
... "Iraq celebrated the withdrawal of American troops from its cities with parades, fireworks and a national holiday on Tuesday as the prime minister trumpeted the countrys sovereignty from American occupation to a wary public." -- New York Times, June 30 ...
The SOFA Stick
Obsidian Wings —
... Now Maliki is on the campaign trail, and is portraying himself as the leader that got the Americans to leave Iraq. Maliki for example, called the June 30, 2009 withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq’s cities a national holiday and a great victory...Maliki needs to balance the continued need for U.S. support with his desire for a nationalist image. He appears to be going for the route that will assure him the most votes. ...
AfPak-Iraq: Wrong War, Wrong Thinking
Commondreams.org Views —
... on 28 October is further evidence that the army's well-publicised operations cannot prevent (and may indeed provoke) violent incidents elsewhere in Pakistan. The Baghdad blues Amid this comfortless prospect, the situation in Iraq has appeared to present more hopeful evidence that here at least - both before and since United States forces started their partial withdrawal from Iraq's cities on 30 June 2009 - Washington's military strategy was showing the desired results. In addition to his weekly openDemocracy column, Paul Rogers writes an international security monthly ...
