August 31 was the deadline for withdrawing US combat troops from Iraq. Although President Obama says he achieved that goal, over 50,000 regular troops remain there, nominally providing training and support. They are however, armed and will accompany the Iraqi military on some missions. About 5000 special forces troops also remain there, helping Iraqi forces find and capture or kill insurgents.
The 50,000 regular military forces are scheduled to return home by the end of 2011, but the Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Ubaidi does not believe that deadline. He argues that a US military presence in Iraq will be needed for several years — “maybe endlessly” (see article excerpted below).
Moreover, according to Antonia Julhasz, oil industry analyst for GlobalExchange.org and author of The Tyranny of Oil, in addition to the US military forces staying in Iraq, about twice as many private military companies (PMCs) also remain there. Many of these are essentially mercenaries who work for companies like Xe Services (formerly Blackwater), Titan Corporation, Pathfinder Security Services, DynCorp, and Aegis Defence Services (UK). There is no stated deadline for removal of PMCs from Iraq.
Iraq defense minister: U.S. help will be needed
by Liz Sly, Los Angeles Times, Thursday, September 9, 2010
(09-09) 04:00 PDT Baghdad — Some form of U.S. military presence will be needed in Iraq at least until 2016 to provide training, support and maintenance for the vast quantity of military equipment and weaponry that Iraq is buying from the United States, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Ubaidi said.
In addition, Iraq will also continue to need help with intelligence gathering after 2011, and the fledgling Iraqi air force will require U.S. assistance at least until 2020, the date by which Iraq aims to achieve the capability to defend its own airspace, al-Ubaidi said.
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“Maybe endlessly,” al-Ubaidi said when asked how long U.S. support may be necessary. “As long as I have an army and I’m a Third World country, and I can’t pretend that I’m better than that … I will need assistance.”
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[It] is becoming increasingly clear that many in Iraq’s defense establishment, as well as within the U.S. military, believe that Iraq’s security forces will need U.S. military assistance for many years to come, despite Obama’s commitment to pull out all troops by 2012.
In an interview last month, the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces, Gen. Babakir Zebari, predicted the need for U.S. forces to remain in Iraq until 2020 and said he would like to see the United States maintain “three or four bases” to help deter possible threats from Iraq’s neighbors. U.S. officials have also said Iraq’s army will need assistance beyond the 2011 deadline.
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- Major Combat Operations… Ended?
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- Cost of Iraq War: Civilian Lives, Lost Goodwill, and High Debt
