Iraq's Army Chief of Staff says U.S. troops must stay until 2020!

[Better Believe It]

Iraq 'needs US military support until 2020'
August 11, 2010

The Iraqi army will require American support for another decade before it is ready to handle the country's security on its own, Iraq's army chief of staff told AFP on Wednesday.
Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari said Iraq's politicians had to find a way to "fill the void" after American troops withdraw from the country at the end of next year under a bilateral security pact.

"At this point, the withdrawal (of US forces) is going well, because they are still here," Zebari said.

"But the problem will start after 2011; the politicians must find other ways to fill the void after 2011, because the army will be fully ready in 2020.

"If I were asked about the withdrawal, I would say to politicians: the US army must stay until the Iraqi army is fully ready in 2020."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.a8b73cb8a155709ec3944875771ed531.01&show_article=1

[msongs]

1. gotta keep that graft, thievery, corruption etc going as long as possible nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. You got this from Breitbart?

WOW...

Or is this a different breitbart?

Oh Breitbart is running the AFP wire.

[progressoid]

6. Looks like the same one.

Biggovernment link at the top of the page.

:puke:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. So he is controlling my tax dolllars?

we CANNOT afford to stay in Iraq period. Who is he to say.
Before invading countries on a whim they should have thought about the cost.

[rhett o rick]

4. Let's hear from the Pres Obama cheerleaders that "believe" he will honor his promises. nm

[SpartanDem]

5. Um..hasn't the withdrawl been going as scheduled?

first it was withdrawing from their cities, now down to 50,000 by the end of this month. All troops will out by this time next year believe it.

[rhett o rick]

7. I agree and still have hope. However, I have been lied to so many times I am very skeptical. nm

[hobbit709]

8. Translation: I retire in 10 years so I can flee the country with my loot.

[Better Believe It]

9. Iraqi General thinks permanent U.S. bases in Iraq is a good idea

Top Iraq general: U.S. army 'must stay' until 2020
Commander expresses concerns about readiness as U.S. forces prepare to exit
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
August 12, 2010

LONDON — The commander of Iraq's military is calling for U.S. forces to stay in the country for another decade, reinforcing his stance that his country's military won't be able to secure the nation on their own after U.S. troops leave.

"At this point, the withdrawal is going well, because they are still here, but the problem will start after 2011," Gen. Babaker Shawkat Zebari said at a defense conference in Baghdad, according to the BBC.

"The politicians must find other ways to fill the void after 2011... If I were asked about the withdrawal, I would say to politicians: the U.S. army must stay until the Iraqi army is fully ready in 2020," the BBC reported.

Zebari also raised his concerns earlier in the summer, telling the AP in June that Iraq needs the U.S. military in place until Iraqi forces prove capable of defending the nation, a benchmark which he also said at the time forces could take a decade to reach.

He pointed out that the U.S. military maintains a presence in other Middle Eastern countries.

"Look at the Turks, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain," he told the AP. "All of these countries have American bases under bilateral agreements. And I don't think we should be afraid of that idea."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38670873/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa

[Tutankhamun]

10. This isn't surprising. Our agreement with the Iraqi government

says we will leave by the withdrawal date UNLESS (drum roll) they ask us to stay. So now, surprise surprise, they're going to ask us to please stay. What a shock! Our withdrawal date has a handy little escape clause.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. No! No! No! No! No!

That keeps American men and women in uniform in the line of fire in an ETERNAL occupation post a war that never should have happened.

I really hope President Obama keeps his word on this.

The Iraqis need to arm all men AND women to hold the line. This is not our occupation to hang onto anymore. :-(