Army Chief: Troops Could Be in Iraq 'After' 2012.

Army chief of staff says US troops could remain in Iraq and Afghanistan past 2012.
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The United States could have fighting forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade, the top Army officer said, even though a signed agreement requires all U.S. forces to be out of Iraq by 2012.

Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, said Tuesday his planning envisions combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade as part of a sustained U.S. commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism in the Middle East.

President Barack Obama plans to bring U.S. combat forces home from Iraq in 2010, and the United States and Iraq have agreed that all U.S. forces would leave by 2012. Although several senior U.S. officials have suggested Iraq could request an extension, the legal agreement the two countries signed last year would have to be amended for any significant U.S. presence to remain.

As recently as February, Defense Secretary Robert Gates repeated U.S. commitment to the agreement worked out with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

They seem to have other plans now. This is just like guantanamo, on / off / on / off.

It won't be long before our soldiers start beating the dusty streets in walkers and motorized electronic scooters.

If we have enough money to keep them there that long lol

reply to post by phi1618


Have you heard about Stimulus Money ?

I bet they will prolly stay there longer, and only time will tell..

I guess I should have listened to the people earlier that said Obama was not for change.


Hmmph.

as i sit here and watch new and improved buildings go up and older plywood buildings being torn down and the general infrastructre being improved, i often find myself asking, are we really going to keep building this post up out of americans pockets and then just hand it over to the IA? Nah, i honestly think we will be here for the forseeable future.

Whatever happened to getting them out in 16 months?

Obama talked so convincingly that this time frame was more than possible and little by little the possible is becoming impossible.