Odierno: 'Complete failure' of Iraqi forces could mean return US combat operations
The commander of US forces in Iraq doesn't foresee the need for US to resume combat missions in Iraq but isn't entirely ruling it out either.
"We have several different contingency plans for support, but it would have to be something that would change the strategic dynamic here for us to move back to combat operations," Gen. Ray Odierno told CNN's Candy Crowley Sunday.
"Can you define that for me?" asked Crowley. "What is a strategic dynamic that could change?"
"Well, if, for example, you had a complete failure of the security forces. If you had some political divisions within the political forces that caused them to fracture," Odierno replied.
"But we don't see that happening," he added. "They have been doing so well for so long now that we really believe that we are beyond that point."
U.S. involvement in Iraq beyond the end of 2011, Odierno said, probably would involve assisting the Iraqis secure their airspace and borders.
While Iraq forces can handle internal security and protect Iraqis, Odierno said he believes military commanders want to have the U.S. involved beyond 2011 to help Iraqis acquire the required equipment, training and technical capabilities.
He said Iraq's security forces have matured to the point where they will be ready to shoulder enough of the burden to permit the remaining 50,000 soldiers to go home at the end of next year.
If the Iraqis asked that American troops remain in the country after 2011, Odierno said U.S. officials would consider it, but that would be a policy decision made by the president and his national security advisers.
Appearing on CBS Sunday, the general said that terrorism is still a problem in Iraq.
"We still have a little bit of terrorism that operates here but it has to do with political development," he said.
"It has to do with the government now starting to move forward, move forward economically, politically, diplomatically. Integrate itself back into the region. We are seeing movement towards that but that is the most important thing now. Political, economic development."
the Iraqis have to maintain a bodycount to keep this putz happy!
http:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRs6KWDsc0
U 2 MUCH!
:<[)
Well, that's something to look forward too! Let's see how many soldiers try to end their lives when they're told they're going BACK to Iraq.
What a fuckin' joke.
the iraqi war and ANY REASON to
stay there is just--BULLSHIT.
But isn't that assumption dependent on the level of danger presented by any new regime that might gain supersedence?
I remember what my sergeants said in Basic Training about assumptions.
Although my Scout leader said it first (he was an ex-Marine sergeant).
I don't think they say that about assumptions anymore due to DADT.
Why does America care more about Iraqis than Americans?
Because that's what's being portrayed here. But, I know the answer.
The Oligarchs have co-opted the armed forces as their own crime enforcement, and the cover up lies are lame.
from Bush just keeps on giving and giving doesn't it?
more like taking and taking
"During the 1960s the Family forged relationships between the U.S. government and some of the most anti-Communist (and dictatorial) elements within Africa’s postcolonial leadership. The Brazilian dictator General Costa e Silva, with Family support, was overseeing regular fellowship groups for Latin American leaders, while, in Indonesia, General Suharto (whose tally of several hundred thousand “Communists” killed marks him as one of the century’s most murderous dictators) was presiding over a group of fifty Indonesian legislators."
During the Reagan Administration the Family helped build friendships between the U.S. government and men such as Salvadoran general Carlos Eugenios Vides Casanova, convicted by a Florida jury of the torture of thousands, and Honduran general Gustavo Alvarez Martinez, himself an evangelical minister, who was linked to both the CIA and death squads before his own demise. “We work with power where we can,” the Family’s leader, Doug Coe, says, “build new power where we can’t.”
...The old-war on communism is the new-war on terrorism...
"It has to do with the government now starting to move forward, move forward economically, politically, diplomatically. Integrate itself back into the region. We are seeing movement towards that but that is the most important thing now. Political, economic development."
Would that we might say this about ourselves.
I kinda agree.
Americans are good people. Your politicians? Not so much. Lots of crazy there!
Waddabout me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-cje17OGnQ&fe...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtMV44yoXZ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUiCYAE2DY
I luv those clips.
You're the good kinda crazy, ysb!
It's nice to think the rest of the world doesn't believe all Americans are "ugly."
That said, I continue to believe I was born abroad and simply switched at birth. ; )
Believe me, if Canada (or Sweden, or Denmark, or...) would have us, my wife and I would leave tomorrow.
I hear they have doctors in Denmark who can help you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuq1A_T3vWQ
...that wasn't the kind of "switched at birth" I had in mind. (Although, who can dis Bela Lugosi?)
Well you said you were born abroad...
Remind me to be MUCH more careful how I phrase things next time.
"Don't want to play mumbly-peg with him. He'll steal your leg."
--David Crosby
"On Nov. 27, 2008, the Iraqi Parliament ratified a Status of Forces agreement with the United States that sets a course for an end to the United States’ role in the war and marks the beginning of a new relationship between the countries. The pact calls for American troops to pull out of most Iraqi cities by the summer of 2009 and sets the end of 2011 as the date by which the last American troops must leave the country."
Article 2:
First: Islam is the official religion of the State and is a foundation source of
legislation:
A. No law may be enacted that contradicts the established provisions of Islam
B. No law may be enacted that contradicts the principles of democracy.
C. No law may be enacted that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms
stipulated in this Constitution.
Now they tell us!!!!!!
combat brigades in the next couple of months? based on the reports i've been reading, the US Continental Army could easily defeat the present iraqi army.
7 years, and not a competent combat brigade among them. this doesn't speak well for the trainers, provided by both the US military, and contractors. kind of reminds me of the late south vietnamese army.
GENERAL ODIERNO: "Well, if, for example, you had a complete failure of the security forces. If you had some political divisions within the political forces that caused them to fracture,"...
WHAT HE REALLY MEANT TO SAY: "In other words, for example, there's a destabilization of an already unstable security in the unstable Iraq. If there are political divisions of the political forces of the highly politicized rationale for occupation, I mean even more so than those hundreds of divisions that already exist due to our ill-conceived occupation of Iraq. In other words we'll be back before we get gone."
Either war is obsolete or men are...
if the Iraqis determine their self-sovereignty by doing things differently than the USA has envisioned and currently installed, we will come back and shoot them to get them back in line.
And what the Christian terrorist baby killer means is if the people of Iraq don't continue to allow the Christanic terrorist regime to steal Iraq's oil, the baby killers will wade in again and add another million innocent people to their death count.
Isn't religion lovely?
that's why we built the fortress, but we are willing to let other countries share in the contracts, very neo-colonialist, but if things get out of hand.
we have been at war in iraq for twenty years, same in afpak, yemen for 2 years, soon back to somalia. we have been dabbling in mid-east/south asia politics since the turn of the century. you can be sure there has been some sort of resource/profit motive. wherever people can be found to be exploited, nature of the beast.
The President makes the policy, the military follows his orders. Bring this guy back home and can his ass. Enough of the military dictating policy.
And use a Mexican cannery
(Their solder leaks into the contents)...
Our military, and it's surrogates (contractors), will never leave Iraq.
You're right we're still in Europe and Korea, so this won't be any different. Anything to keep massive amounts of our wealth flowing and the lives of soldiers, sailors and airmen.
They're singing our song! Durge that is. Why is some general telling a reporter what our foreign policy is going to be. There must be some almighty power struggle going on for some time at the Puzzle Palace. A while back Centcom (overall Mideast commander) called Petraeus an
"a$$ kissing, chickenshit' in response to his comments in the press. The Admiral lost his job over that. Petraeus was then promoted to Centcom. Then McCrystal shot off his mouth to Rolling Stone and lost his job as commander in Afghanistan. Then Petraeus was actually demoted to take his place, with no one replacing him as Centcom. Then Gates (SecDef) wants to defund Centcom entirely. Quite the show. You need a program.
Odierno is full of $&!*. The Iraqi government is nothing short of dysfunctional. The vast majority of elected and appointed officials act (and loot) in their own self-interest and much of the country is without the most basic services. To say that the Iraqi government has "been doing so well for so long" is abject propaganda. It is the "Big Lie." It is a statement not grounded in facts that will only be accepted by those who have no interest in - or no time to uncover - the facts.
I am so sick and tired to these hyper-macho generals who are filled with power and blood-lust. It is high time we trim the military in a MAJOR way.
Good luck ramping up that war again. Don't think anyone would stand for it now.
That biggest US embassy in the world should be converted to a hospital and rehabilitation center for Iraqis. Then I'd believe we really were leaving. As it is, I don't believe it.
The proper response would be "that is something for the president and civilian government to decide. We just follow their orders."
Why did the Iraq's fight like rabid hyena's against Iran for years, but now they can't even walk and hold their guns at the same time?
Did anyone ever think that maybe their heart's just aren't into our dictating to them?
I'm still waiting for them to give us the chocolates and flowers Dick Cheney promised us.
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