Iraq pullout

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Obama Girds for 'Unprecedented' Economic Crisis

President-elect focusing on security, trust, downturn and Gitmo, he tells 60 Minutes

(Newser) - National security, the economy and breaking America's addiction to fossil fuels are Barack Obama's key priorities, he revealed in his first sit-down TV interview since becoming president-elect. He's focusing first on security because "transition periods are times of vulnerability to a terrorist attack," he explained on 60 Minutes ...

Iraqi Cabinet Backs US Pullout Pact
Iraqi Cabinet Backs
US Pullout Pact

Iraqi Cabinet Backs US Pullout Pact

Parliament likely to approve plan by month's end

(Newser) - Iraq’s cabinet has approved a long-debated plan to allow US troops to stay in the country until 2011—three years beyond their UN mandate, Reuters reports. Consideration of the pact now moves to parliament, where it will likely pass, an official said. American troops are scheduled to leave Iraqi...

US: Do We Dare Turn Detainees Over to Iraqis?

Security deal could see Iraqi authorities handed thousands of prisoners they can't handle

(Newser) - The new security agreement negotiated with Iraq could leave the US military with 5,000 tough problems, the New York Times reports. US forces currently hold 17,000 Iraqi prisoners—including 5,000 considered dangerous radicals. Under the latest draft of the deal, the US would lose the right to...

Iraq Calls for Changes in US Pullout Pact

Minister had called deal final

(Newser) - Parties in Iraq’s ruling Shiite coalition are seeking to alter what was supposed to be a final agreement with the US concerning when American troops would leave, Reuters reports. The draft says US forces must leave Iraq by the end of 2011 unless the Iraqi government wants them to...

Iraq Looks to Buy F-16s From US

Advanced weaponry could speed American pullout

(Newser) - Iraq’s military wants to buy 36 F-16 fighter planes from the US in an effort to cut its dependence on American air power, the Wall Street Journal reports. The multi-billion-dollar purchase could speed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, but neighboring nations may worry about the presence of...

Sadr to Forge Peaceful Corps from Shiite Army

Mahdi militants said to shift focus to civil service, stabilizing Iraq

(Newser) - Anti-American Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is shifting his political clout away from militancy, and will disarm his Shiite Mahdi Army in favor of non-violent civic and social endeavors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hoping to increase stability in Iraq, the organization will take on projects involving education, religion, and social...

Obama ISO VP Who Can Govern
 Obama ISO VP Who Can Govern

Obama ISO VP Who Can Govern

Dem says he won't choose based on home region

(Newser) - Barack Obama won’t pick a veep based on trying to win a specific region, he said today on Meet the Press. Instead, he’ll focus on “somebody who can help me govern,” Politico reports. The Dem also complimented both Clintons, saying the former first lady “would...

Iraq Backs Barack, Despite Pullout Fears

Many alarmed by Obama's troop withdrawal timetable

(Newser) - Barack Obama is widely popular in Iraq, despite deep concerns about his plans to withdraw American troops, reports the New York Times. Iraqis around the country expressed admiration for Obama and believe he would be a major improvement over President Bush—but also worry that his proposed 16-month withdrawal timetable...

US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal
US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal 

US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal

Need for troops in Afghanistan may drive unexpected shift

(Newser) - US officials in Washington and Baghdad may pull as many as three brigades from Iraq by the time George Bush leaves office, the New York Times reports. The move, driven in part by a need to bolster the American presence in Afghanistan, could remove far more troops than seemed likely...

Dems Assail McCain on War
Dems Assail McCain on War

Dems Assail McCain on War

Obama would defy Petraeus to withdraw; DNC ads knock Mac's '100 years' in Iraq

(Newser) - Barack Obama and John McCain clashed over Iraq today, as the DNC readies an ad campaign criticizing McCain's now-infamous remark about keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years. In a Fox News interview, Obama pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq even if Gen. David Petraeus advised against it. But the...

McCain Blasts Dems on Iraq
 McCain Blasts Dems on Iraq 

McCain Blasts Dems on Iraq

Presumptive GOP nominee says departure calls are 'imprudent and dangerous'

(Newser) - John McCain slammed his Democratic presidential rivals today over their calls for an Iraq troop withdrawal, calling the notion “the height of irresponsibility.” Speaking to veterans in Kansas City, McCain said a quick departure would be “imprudent and dangerous." The remarks foreshadowed political heat over this...

Army's Role in Iraq Turning Personal
Army's Role in Iraq Turning Personal
commentary

Army's Role in Iraq Turning Personal

Troops 'all but qualify for Iraqi citizenship,' for better or worse

(Newser) - After five years of war, the US military is enmeshed in virtually all aspects of Iraqi life—a common development in such engagements but one that can prove to be a double-edged sword for military efficiency, writes Lawrence Kaplan in the policy forum Bitter Lemons. "American units slowly melt...

Bush Praises Iraqi Offensive
 Bush Praises Iraqi Offensive 

Bush Praises Iraqi Offensive

President scolds Congress' calls for withdrawal

(Newser) - President Bush praised the government of Iraq today for the offensive launched three days ago against militias in Basra, painting it as a sign of progress toward the goals of the US war, the AP reports. Bush also criticized Congress for calling for troop withdrawals so the military’s attention...

Obama, McCain Trade Potshots Over Iraq War

Each delivers 'news' to the other about al-Qaeda presence

(Newser) - John McCain and Barack Obama traded sharp words today, as the two presidential frontrunners bludgeoned each other over the Iraq war. McCain dug into Obama for saying, in the debate last night, that he wouldn't hesitate to act if al-Qaeda established bases in Iraq for targeting the US, Reuters reports....

Iraq Expects Decade of US Involvement
Iraq Expects Decade of US Involvement

Iraq Expects Decade of US Involvement

Domestic assistance needed through 2012, Baghdad says

(Newser) - Iraq won’t be ready to defend its borders until 2018 at the earliest, the defense minister said yesterday, offering a pessimistic update of an earlier estimate. The country will also require internal security help through at least 2012, Abdul Qadir said. The estimates are more specific—and longer—than...

Edwards Talks Tough on Iraq, Business

Plans to pull all troops out of Iraq; stop corporate abuses

(Newser) - John Edwards is turning up the heat in the countdown to Iowa, considered do-or-die for his campaign. He tells the New York Times that he would be the president quickest to bring American troops home from Iraq, pulling them all out—including those providing training and support for the Iraqi...

After 5 Years, Brits Hand Over Basra to Iraqis

Strategic, unstable region to test strength of Baghdad government

(Newser) - Ending five years of British control in southern Iraq, the UK today handed over authority for the wealthy, populous Basra region to the Iraqi government. Residents greeted the handover with jubilation, but the responsibility for Basra—strategically located, an oil export hub and home of Iraq's only port—will prove...

Australia To Pull Troops From Iraq
Australia
To Pull Troops From Iraq

Australia To Pull Troops From Iraq

New leader says combat forces will be home by mid-2008

(Newser) - Australia’s new leader says the nation's combat troops will be out of Iraq by mid-2008, the Guardian reports. Kevin Rudd will make good on a campaign promise to pull out troops, a move that marks a sharp shift from the polices of his predecessor, John Howard, a key Bush...

Bush Agrees to Long-Term US Presence in Iraq

Details of 'enduring' relationship will be worked out in 2008

(Newser) - President Bush today agreed to an "enduring" economic, political, and military relationship with Iraq, laying the foundation for a long-term US presence. The deal replaces the UN mandate currently governing US troops, restoring some measure of Iraqi sovereignty. Iraqis envision 50,000 US troops providing security in exchange for...

US Begins Surge Reversal
US Begins Surge Reversal

US Begins Surge Reversal

One brigade is heading home; others will follow in coming months

(Newser) - The US is slowly beginning to reduce the number of troops deployed in Iraq, the first real test of whether the surge has been effective, the AP says. One of 20 combat brigades is heading home now, and another four will leave by July, dropping the number of troops in...

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