U.S. Losing Patience With Iraq On US Troop Withdrawal

IRAQI PRIME MINISTER - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik, right, in Baghdad, July 11, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

In Iraq, Panetta Fails To Break Impasse On U.S. Forces -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News

BAGHDAD -- The new defense secretary, Leon Panetta, expressed frustration Monday in his first visit to Baghdad that squabbling Iraqi leaders had so far failed to decide whether to ask U.S. forces to stay in the country beyond 2011.

"I'd like things to move a lot faster here, frankly," Panetta told U.S. troops at Baghdad's Camp Victory. "Do you want us to stay, don't you want us to stay? Damn it, make a decision."

Yet Iraq's political impasse appeared no closer to resolution after Panetta met Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders. Over the weekend, during heated, top-level talks that lasted about four hours on Saturday, al-Maliki was unable to secure the agreement of Ayad Allawi, his key political rival, for a decision on whether to ask the U.S. to keep any of the 46,000 troops still in the country - all of whom are due to depart by Dec. 31 under a security agreement.

Instead, the Iraqi leaders agreed only to meet again in two weeks and hold lower level talks in the meantime.

Read more ....

More News On US Demands From Iraq On US Troop Levels

Iraq's Indecision Fuels Panetta's Frustration -- Wall Street Journal
Panetta Presses Iraq for Decision on Troops -- New York Times
Leon Panetta to Iraq: Make a decision on U.S. troop presence -- Foreign Policy
In Iraq, Panetta Has Tough Words On Troop Deadline -- NPR
Leon Panetta to press Iraq for decision on pullout -- SFGate/Washington Post
Panetta Calls for Iraqi Decision on Future U.S. Presence -- US Department of Defense
Panetta to Iraq on asking U.S. troops to stay: 'Dammit, make a decision' -- Stars and Stripes
Panetta calls on Iraq for troops decision -- Financial Times
In visit to Afghanistan and Iraq, Panetta fixes his gaze on the exit sign -- Christian Science Monitor

My Comment: What is my take .... some US soldiers are going to stay .... but the Iraqis are doing what all politicians around the world are always doing .... positioning themselves to look good when the decision is finally made.