U.S. Troops May Stay In Iraq

TROOP REVIEW - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, second from left, reviews the troops during an honor arrival ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 9, 2010. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen

Gates: US Open To Request From Iraq To Stay -- Yahoo News/AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The United States is open to the idea of keeping troops in Iraq past a deadline to leave next year if Iraq asks for it, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.

"We'll stand by," Gates said. "We're ready to have that discussion if and when they want to raise it with us."

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Update: US open to keeping troops in Iraq after 2011: Gates -- AFP

My Comment: I do not think this is the reason why supporters of President Obama voted for him in 2008. But will there be a backlash against the idea of extending U.S. soldiers beyond next year`s withdrawal date .... I doubt it.

As to what is my take .... I have always predicted that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq for the next few decades. Secretary of Defense Gates is just the laying the groundwork for the new Iraqi Government (when it is formed) to request a `semi-permanent`U.S. presence in the country for an in-determinant length of time.