US Drawdown From Iraq Moving Swiftly

[babylonsister]

As Iraq hedges, U.S. drawdown moving swiftly
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 3, 2011


WASHINGTON — While Iraq’s government dithers over whether to American troops should stay beyond the end of this year, the accelerating pace of the drawdown is making it increasingly difficult for the United States to reverse course if called on to maintain operations in the country.

“There’s a momentum in the process once you start closing sites down ... and you start moving troops and contractors out of Iraq,” Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Richardson, who oversees logistics for U.S. Forces Iraq, told reporters Wednesday.

About half of 94 U.S. military sites slated for closure at the start of Operation New Dawn in September 2010 have already been shut down, while another seven will be closed this month, he said. The site closures schedule isn’t designed to preserve bases needed if the U.S. stays. The mission now is simply to be out of the country by the year-end deadline.

“We’re on a glide path based on drawing everything down to zero, because that’s the orders we’ve been given,” he said.

more...

http://www.stripes.com/news/as-iraq-hedges-u-s-drawdown-moving-swiftly-1.151053

[WhiteTara]

1. WooHoo! Let's hope

(there's that word again) that nothing changes.
:woohoo:

[raccoon]

2. After 8 1/2 years. I hope all the fools who supported the invasion are happy now. nt

[bvar22]

3. Democratic Party Honor Roll:

These Democrats should be remembered for their principled stand against the WAR Machine.

IWR (Iraq War Resolution)
Authorization to Use Force in Iraq

United States Senate

In the Senate, the 21 Democrats, one Republican and one Independent courageously voted their consciences in 2002 against the War in Iraq :

Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico)
Barbara Boxer (D-California)
Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota)
Jon Corzine (D-New Jersey)
Mark Dayton (D-Minnesota)
Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)
Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin)
Bob Graham (D-Florida)
Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Jim Jeffords (I-Vermont)
Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
Carl Levin (D-Michigan)
Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland)
Patty Murray (D-Washington)
Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)
Paul Sarbanes (D-Maryland)
Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan)
The late Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota)
Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)

Lincoln Chaffee (R-Rhode Island)


United States House of Representatives

Six House Republicans and one independent joined 126 Democratic members of the House of Representatives:

Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
Tom Allen (D-Maine)
Joe Baca (D-California)
Brian Baird (D-Washington DC)
John Baldacci (D-Maine, now governor of Maine)
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)
Xavier Becerra (D-California)
Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon)
David Bonior (D-Michigan, retired from office)
Robert Brady (D-Pennsylvania)
Corinne Brown (D-Florida)
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Lois Capps (D-California)
Michael Capuano (D-Massachusetts)
Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland)
Julia Carson (D-Indiana)
William Clay, Jr. (D-Missouri)
Eva Clayton (D-North Carolina, retired from office)
James Clyburn (D-South Carolina)
Gary Condit (D-California, retired from office)
John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan)
Jerry Costello (D-Illinois)
William Coyne (D-Pennsylvania, retired from office)
Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland)
Susan Davis (D-California)
Danny Davis (D-Illinois)
Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon)
Diana DeGette (D-Colorado)
Bill Delahunt (D-Massachusetts)
Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut)
John Dingell (D-Michigan)
Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)
Mike Doyle (D-Pennsylvania)
Anna Eshoo (D-California)
Lane Evans (D-Illinois)
Sam Farr (D-California)
Chaka Fattah (D-Pennsylvania)
Bob Filner (D-California)
Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts)
Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas)
Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois)
Alice Hastings (D-Florida)
Earl Hilliard (D-Alabama, retired from office)
Maurice Hinchey (D-New York)
Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas)
Rush Holt (D-New Jersey)
Mike Honda (D-California)
Darlene Hooley (D-Oregon)
Inslee
Jackson (Il.)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson, E.B.
Jones (OH)
Kaptur
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kleczka
Kucinich
LaFalce
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Lofgren
Maloney (CT)
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McKinney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Millender-McDonald
Miller
Mollohan
Moran (Va)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Owens
Pallone
Pastor
Payne
Pelosi
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Rivers
Rodriguez
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Sabo
Sanchez
Sanders
Sawyer
Schakowsky
Scott
Serrano
Slaughter
Snyder
Solis
Stark
Strickland
Stupak
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Towns
Udall (NM)
Udall (CO)
Velazquez
Visclosky
Waters
Watson
Watt
Woolsey
Wu



(Apologies for the loss of data on some of our Reps.)

I salute the above Democrats,
:patriot:
and hold in contempt those "Democrats" who claim that they didn't know Bush was going to use this to
Go To WAR. (The "I'm Too Stupid to Understand" Excuse)

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. K&R

:kick:

[Cali_Democrat]

5. ***THE US AND IRAQ ARE NEGOTIATING A TROOP EXTENSION FOR TROOPS TO STAY PAST DEC 31 DEADLINE****

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/08/02/iraq-to-negotiate-possible-us-troop-extension/

[sad sally]

7. Yeah, might be too early to celebrate the end of the iillegal Iraq war

Iraq’s troop decision encouraging, U.S. says

By Ed O’Keefe and Alice Fordham, Published: August 3

BAGHDAD — U.S. officials on Wednesday welcomed Iraq’s decision to negotiate with Washington on keeping some U.S. troops in the country into next year, seeing it as a move toward ending the months-long political stalemate that has complicated U.S. plans for a December withdrawal.

-snip

“There seems to be broad partnerships and political coalitions emerging that take tough decisions,” said a senior U.S. Embassy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue frankly. “This is very good, because we don’t want to be the security partner to a dictatorship or to a one-party regime, but rather, we believe we should have acceptance by a broad range of political forces in this country.”

-snip

“We don’t need a large combat presence,” said Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “We need Special Forces and perhaps some forces who would be effectively combat troops.”

-snip

U.S. officials also want troops to stay in Iraq as a check on Iran, which is seen as retaining a strong influence over many of Iraq’s leading politicians, including Maliki. The Islamic republic is engaged in a charm offensive in Iraq, opening consulates, investing in the economy and sponsoring religious scholarships.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/iraqs-troop-decision-encouraging-us-says/2011/08/03/gIQARNqGsI_print.html?du

[backscatter712]

6. Good! Hope this continues! n/t