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Posts Tagged ‘General Ray Odierno’
US troops not likely to leave Iraq
October 3, 2009
Gen. Odierno: US May Ignore Iraq Deadline Because of al-Qaeda
April 10, 2009Missing June Deadline Likely a Further Setback to Obama ‘Withdrawal’ Plan
Antiwar.com, April 9, 2009
In yet another sign that the Obama Administration’s “pullout” timeline for Iraq is not set in stone, General Ray Odierno told The Times today that US combat troops may remain in Iraq’s cities beyond the June 30 deadline mandated by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). He pointed to increased trouble from al-Qaeda as the justification.
From some of its earliest leaked drafts the SOFA mandated that all US troops would be out of cities by the end of June, 2009. Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin has previously said he thought the deadline was unlikely to be met, but this appears to be the first time the top commander in Iraq has publicly acknowledged that things are not going according to schedule.
In February, the Obama Administration revealed its new drawdown strategy, which planned to declare an official end to combat operations in August of 2010 (though up to 50,000 troops would remain, and continue to engage in combat). That already dramatically scaled back timeline, however, seems to have been predicated on a best-case scenario from a military perspective, and a delay in June could well mean a deal in August.
Related Stories
- April 9, 2009 — On Anniversary of Saddam’s Fall, Tens of Thousands Vent Against US
- April 9, 2009 — Obama Seeks $83.4 Billion for Iraq, Afghan Wars
- April 7, 2009 — Maliki Blames Ba’athists, al-Qaeda for Bombings
compiled by Jason Ditz [email the author]
Growing Evidence US Won’t Honor Iraq Pact
December 15, 2008Gen. Odierno Says US Troops Will Remain in Cities Despite SOFA Timeline
Antiwar.com, December 14, 2008
Yesterday, top US military commander in Iraq General Ray Odierno said that, though the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) explicitly requires all US forces to be out of Iraqi cities by June 30, he expects troops will remain in the cities past that date. The Sadr bloc’s Liwaa Sumeissim said this underscored their belief that the US doesn’t feel bound by the pact, and that he expects the US to use any pretext to keep forces in Iraq beyond that 2011 deadline as well.
And once again, the Iraqi government seems to have little objection with the US going back on one of the key tenets of the SOFA it sold to parliament. The Iraqi Defense Ministry says that US troops will be allowed to remain in cities past the deadline with permission from the Iraqi government. The permission to flout the terms of the SOFA seems remarkably easy for the US to obtain, leaving open the question of which clauses of the pact will carry any weight going forward.
The parliamentary bloc of Shi’ite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stood as the primary opponents of the SOFA, which narrowly passed late last month. The bloc said the SOFA would legitimize the US occupation, and expressed skepticism that the US would honor the terms at any rate. The last few days have only strengthened that case.
And on Friday Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, at a Pentagon press briefing, was already speaking of keeping American forces in Iraq past the 2011 “firm” deadline the SOFA dictates.
Related Stories
- December 14, 2008 — Bush Pelted With Shoes During Baghdad Visit
- December 10, 2008 — Top Analyst: Iraqi Political Outlook Grim
- December 5, 2008 — New Orders for US Troops in Iraq After Pact
compiled by Jason Ditz [email the author]
Peace and Justice Post 