U.S Withdrawal/Redeployment Plans From Iraq

Leaving Iraq: Shanous Wright and his wife Tiffany head home after a ceremony welcoming US Army soldiers returning from Iraq at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs Feb. 12. Mr. Wright is one of 280 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division who returned after a 15-month deployment in Iraq. Rick Wilking/Reuters

Obama’s Iraq Plan Has December Elections as Turning Point for Pullout -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s planned Iraq troop drawdown would leave the bulk of American forces in place until early next year while some combat units would remain in place in new roles even beyond a declared August 2010 target for withdrawal, administration officials said Wednesday.

The plan would maintain relatively high troop levels through Iraq’s parliamentary elections, to be held in December, before beginning in earnest to meet the August 2010 target for removing combat forces, the officials said. Even after August 2010, as many as 50,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq would remain, including some combat units reassigned as “Advisory Training Brigades” or “Advisory Assistance Brigades,” the administration and Pentagon officials said.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Plans To Leave Iraq

Obama Adjusts Timing on Iraq Withdrawal -- Christian Science Monitor
Obama's Iraq Pullout Plan: An O.K. from Anbar -- Time Magazine
Obama ready to set out Iraq withdrawal plan -- AFP
Long-term U.S. troop strength in Iraq: 50,000 -- MinnPost
Senate Democrats Surprised by Obama Plan to Leave Up to 50,000 Troops in Iraq -- FOX News
Mixed reactions to Iraq withdrawal goal -- Politico
Senate Democratic Leaders Concerned About Obama’s Iraq Plan -- New York Times
U.S. Out Of Iraq In 19 Months? Not Really -- CBS
The Gamble Continues -- The Atlantic (opinion)
The New Reality In Iraq -- New Republic

My Comment: A minimum of 50,000 U.S. troops are still going to remain behind in Iraq. This does not included private contractors, CIA, State, Aid and NGOs .... and only God knows what else.

Deployment to bases in Turkey, Kuwait, and other Gulf States will also be increased, so that if U.S. forces need to be rushed into Iraq quickly, it can be done on a moments notice. One should also not forget Afghanistan, and the buildup that is occurring there.

This is not a withdrawal from Iraq .... this is a (cough cough) redeployment.