[A-List] Iraq: US Military Forces Needed For 12 More Years For 'External Threats'

["Tony B." <tal1@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Rick Rozoff
To: Stop NATO
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 10:53 PM
Subject: [stopnato] Iraq: US Military Forces Needed For 12 More Years For 
'External Threats'


http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51661

Stars and Stripes
Mideast Edition
January 16, 2008

Iraqi defense minister says U.S. forces needed for 10
more years
By Michael Gisick

-"In regard to the borders, regarding protection from
any external threats, our calculation appears that we
are not going to be able to answer to any external
threats until 2018 to 2020."

It will be at least a decade before Iraqi security
forces won't need the backing of American troops,
Iraq's defense minister predicted this week.

In an interview with the New York Times, Abdul-Qader
al-Obeidi said Iraqi forces would be able handle
domestic security by 2012 but would not be fully
prepared to defend against an external threat until at
least 2018.

Al-Obeidi's comments represent the most specific
assessment of the future of the American presence in
Iraq to come from either Washington or Baghdad, though
various officials have made varying pronouncements in
recent weeks.

"According to our calculations and our timelines, we
think that from the first quarter of 2009 until 2012
we will be able to take full control of the internal
affairs of the country," al-Obeidi said in the Monday
interview.

"In regard to the borders, regarding protection from
any external threats, our calculation appears that we
are not going to be able to answer to any external
threats until 2018 to 2020," al-Obeidi said.

Al-Obeidi was meeting with officials in Washington,
discussing how to build Iraqi forces over the next
decade. The Times reported that al-Obeidi "sketched
out a shopping list that included ground vehicles and
helicopters, as well as tanks, artillery and armored
personnel carriers."

Al-Obeidi is a career armor officer who led the Iraqi
who fought alongside the U.S. Marines in Fallujah in
2004.

President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki signed an agreement in November laying out
the general framework of a potential long-term
American presence, but left the specifics - including
troop strengths and locations - open to future
negotiations.
....
About 30,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to rotate out
of Iraq by July. That is roughly the same number as
were added to U.S. force levels as part of last year's
"surge" and would leave some 130,000 American troops
in Iraq.
....
During a visit to the Middle East last week, Bush said
it was "fine with me" if American commanders do not
recommend any further troop reductions.

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