Tommy Franks: US to stay in Iraq for 3 more years

Many of us want the war to end as soon as possible and get the troops home but it looks like that may not happen for another 3 years according to former head of US Central Command, Tommy Franks.

Daily Star (AFP)
The US-led invasion of Iraq will eventually succeed but US troops will likely have to stay in the country for up to three more years, a former commander of US forces who ran the war in Iraq and Afghanistan said here on Thursday. Retired US army general Tommy Franks added that he believed the assault by US forces against Fallujah would be a turning point in Iraq and elections will be able to go ahead as planned in the violence-ravaged country in January.

"I said when we started the operation that I thought we would be involved in Iraq in a serious way for three to five years," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

"Well we are two years into it, I think for another one to three more years we will be involved in helping Iraqis to build their own capability," he added.

wow opptimism abound! one must consider that the insurgance have the possibility to grow exponentially, even though the 3 year mark might be forceably considered to the extent we start mores wars in more countries creating more chaos ensueing more hate causing more strife. so the 3 year mark might be reasonble since by that time we will have properly maintained the iraq commercial infrastructure and ultimatly secured the entire proccess of extracting their prescious oil. (operation iraqi liberation) then consider hordes upon hordes of insurgance fall into the frey pouring into iraq over the course of the next couple years, with the sole purpose of disrupting our efforts of stability. the ball is in their court and i doubt they will sit idly by while we plunder their home land. in all it doesnt really matter, cuz we have the best guns

Well US troops need to be stationed in iraq for the invasion of iran and syria. The insurgency is just there to give reason for american troops to remain.

If the insurgents never came to be american troops would of been forced to withdraw since the government and the iraq army would of been created by now. This would of made america's secret agenda fall to pieaces. But the islamistis took the bate and got ambushed.

Osama, gave reason for american troops to got to iraq and afganland.
Islamic insurgents, gave reason for american troops to remain.

I wouldn't be supprised if the insurgency are controled by the american's. There just there as pawn's in a bigger chess board.

I have no idea how they going to invade syria and iran. Plan another sept11 with osama? then blame iran or syria? mabe there're thinking about it now.

He should have said atleast 3 more years. I think they are looking at 3 to 10.

"When all the oil is sucked out." is what he should have said.