Don't forget- we are not out of Iraq

[n2doc]

And we have no plans to get "out" of Iraq. We will be keeping lots of troops there on bases indefinitely.

Still 2 endless wars.

[mike_c]

1. perpetual killing, for perpetual profits....

"We have always been at war with Eastasia."

[niyad]

2. yes, people forget that 'getting out of iraq" will still leave about 50k troops there

[kenny blankenship]

3. Why does no one around here seem to be aware that Bush agreed to Maliki's withdrawal timetable???

U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement
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Status of Forces Agreement, 2008

The U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (official name: "Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq On the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq") is a status of forces agreement (SOFA) approved by the Iraqi government in late 2008 between Iraq and the United States. It establishes that U.S. combat forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, and all U.S. forces will be completely out of Iraq by December 31, 2011, subject to possible further negotiations which could delay withdrawal and a referendum scheduled for mid-2009 in Iraq which may require U.S. forces to completely leave by the middle of 2010.<1><2> The pact requires criminal charges for holding prisoners over 24 hours, and requires a warrant for searches of homes and buildings that are not related to combat.<3> U.S. contractors working for U.S. forces will be subject to Iraqi criminal law, while contractors working for the State Department and other U.S. agencies may retain their immunity. If U.S. forces commit still undecided "major premeditated felonies" while off-duty and off-base, they will be subject to the still undecided procedures laid out by a joint U.S.-Iraq committee if the U.S. certifies the forces were off-duty.<4><5><6><3>

The Iraqi government also approved a Strategic Framework Agreement with the U.S.,<7> aimed at ensuring international cooperation including minority ethnicity, gender, and belief interests and other constitutional rights; threat deterrence; exchange students; education;<8> and cooperation in the areas of energy development, environmental hygiene, health care, information technology, communications, and law enforcement.<9>

Several groups of Iraqis protested the passing of the SOFA accord<10><11><12> as prolonging and legitimizing the occupation, and Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani expressed concerns with the ratified version.<13><14> Some other Iraqis expressed skepticism that the U.S. would completely end its presence by 2011.<15> U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has predicted that after 2011 he would expect to see "perhaps several tens of thousands of American troops" as part of a residual force in Iraq.<16> Some Americans have discussed "loopholes"<17> and some Iraqis have said they believe parts of the pact remain a "mystery".<14>

snip

The Iraqi Parliament passed it, Bush agreed to it, and Obama so far has simply been following it.

[n2doc]

5. Well, so far they have only been maintaining troop levels

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/07/14/pentagon-prepares-to-maintain-iraq-troop-levels-through-early-2010/

Haven't seen anything in the last 6 months to refute this. So we have 130,000 troops, and we are going to pull them all out in the next 18 months? I am dubious. If the war in Afghanistan is so critical, why aren't we seeing a rapid redeployment of the Iraq troops over there? Under the timetable, we could easily justify shifting 30,000 or even 50,000 troops. But we don't seem to be trying this. Maybe that will come out of tonight's speech.

[Echo In Light]

4. Two ... for now