Iraqi official foresees a U.S. military presence until 2016

[Panaconda]

Iraqi official foresees a U.S. military presence until 2016

Baghdad is buying American military gear and weapons, which have yet to arrive. U.S. forces must stay to train Iraqis on how to use them, Defense Minister Abdul Qader Obeidi says.

By Liz Sly, Los Angeles Times

September 8, 2010|6:09 p.m.


Reporting from Baghdad —

Some form of U.S. military presence will be needed in Iraq at least until 2016 to provide training, support and maintenance for the vast quantity of military equipment and weaponry that Iraq is buying from America, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qader Obeidi said.

In addition, Iraq will continue to need help with intelligence gathering after 2011, and the fledgling Iraqi air force will require U.S. assistance at least until 2020, the date by which Iraq aims to achieve the capability to defend its airspace, Obeidi said.

The comments were made in an interview a week after President Obama declared the end of U.S. combat operations and reaffirmed America's commitment to pull out all its troops by the end of 2011, under the terms of a security agreement reached by the Bush administration and the Iraqi government in 2008.

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"Maybe endlessly," said Obeidi when asked how long U.S. support may be necessary. "As long as I have an army and I'm a Third World country, and I can't pretend that I'm better than that … I will need assistance.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-troop-presence-20100909,0,6527204.story

[mdmc]

1. mdmc predicts 2061

but that is just me..

[burnsei sensei]

2. And how many will die each year?

American forces must not stay in Iraq. If their leader wants soldiers trained, he should work on making them educated in the first place.
If Americans are there, they can be killed more easily by those who America.
The more I think of it, the more I believe American "soldiers" to be hostages of the U.S government and the people they are occupying.
Our soldiers are hostages.
Thank you, GW Bush, BH Obama.
Now do the right thing and bring them home.
NOW!

[zipplewrath]

3. If it is truly training

Equipment training can be done outside of the country. Maintenance support will really most likely be provided by private contractors. Intelligence is the tricky part, and potentially the most dangerous. Going out on actual patrols, even under the guise of "training" is the part that has to stop and stop soon.