Iraq Defense Minister Sees Need for U.S. Security Help Until 2018

[babylonsister]

Iraq Defense Minister Sees Need for U.S. Security Help Until 2018

By THOM SHANKER
Published: January 15, 2008


FORT MONROE, Va. — The Iraqi defense minister said Monday that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on its own to defend Iraq’s borders from external threat until at least 2018.

Those comments from the minister, Abdul Qadir, were among the most specific public projections of a timeline for the American commitment in Iraq by officials in either Washington or Baghdad. And they suggested a longer commitment than either government had previously indicated.

Pentagon officials expressed no surprise at Mr. Qadir’s projections, which were even less optimistic than those he made last year.

President Bush has never given a date for a military withdrawal from Iraq but has repeatedly said that American forces would stand down as Iraqi forces stand up. Given Mr. Qadir’s assessment of Iraq’s military capabilities on Monday, such a withdrawal appeared to be quite distant, and further away than any American officials have previously stated in public.

Mr. Qadir’s comments are likely to become a factor in political debate over the war. All of the Democratic presidential candidates have promised a swift American withdrawal, while the leading Republican candidates have generally supported President Bush’s plan. Now that rough dates have been attached to his formula, they will certainly come under scrutiny from both sides.

Senior Pentagon and military officials said Mr. Qadir had been consistent throughout his weeklong visit in pressing that timeline, and also in laying out requests for purchasing new weapons through Washington’s program of foreign military sales.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/world/middleeast/15military.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

[flordehinojos]

1. how much of mr. qadir's assessment ...

"that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on its own to defend Iraq’s borders from external threat until at least 2018." ... comes from his own thinking, and how much of it comes from any kind of bush/push the bushit boy has given him.

i wonder how the tune and song will change when the bushit boy finally lets go of power, the oval office, the white house and his quest for dominion over the world ... but the big question here is ... will bush let go? why was he out in the middle east stoking the fires for war against iran?

these are very fragile months here in these united states ... these months between now and january 20th ... we are all lost in an election ... the media has had this election running since last year ... it is a distraction for whatever the bushes are planning... he wants war. he wants oil. he wants power. he wants the world like an alcoholic who wants his bottle and nothing will stop him until he gets what he wants.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. Fuck them!

Let them and the Bush family go fuck themselves.

[Caretha]

3. Hell no Qadir

doesn't want the US to leave. Everyone in the Iraq puppet government that the Neocons put in place would be running for their very lives! They wouldn't last 10 minutes if we pulled our troops out.