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Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Iraq withdrawal is mostly done

Posted: Monday, June 29, 2009 4:12 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski


Pentagon and military officials report that the withdrawal of most U.S. military forces from Iraq's major cities has been completed a day ahead of tomorrow's deadline.

According to the officials, within the past 30 days, 30 U.S. military bases have either been closed down or handed over to Iraqi security forces. A total of 150 bases have been shut down or turned over to Iraqis in the past nine months.

Despite the withdrawal, many U.S. military forces will remain in the cities, embedded with Iraqi forces as advisers. They would also act as liaison officers who would be able to summon a U.S. military rapid reaction force if needed -- or also call in U.S. military air strikes. Those remaining in the cities would also include intelligence officers.

Neither the military or Pentagon could provide a specific number of U.S. forces left behind.

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This will help save a few billion

Thank you President Obama for starting to bring home our troops.
Thank goodness our troops are leaving.  I hope the violence does not increase so they do not have to go back.


The worst part about all of this was Pres. Malaki who said this was one step towards Iraqis elimination the evil U.S. occupiers (paraphrase).  Ungrateful for all the U.S. is trying to do/to help.
Thank you President Bush and John McCain for not giving up on our troops in Iraq and for bravely going forth with the Surge against popular opinion, including many politicians who said it would never work.  While certainly not a done deal, at least Iraq now has a chance to stand alone and be a bright spot in a troubled Middle East.
And it was all the work done during the Bush administration that allowed them to withdraw.
Before you righties start crapping about how "weak" Obama is for withdrawing, keep in mind that this was part of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that was signed by Bush.

Of course that won't stop the Limbaugh Zombies from blaming Obama anyway.  After all, according to Limpballs it's Obama's fault that Sanford is cheating on his wife.

http://jawillie.blog.com
Iraq celebrated American withdrawal on anniversary of Brits' loss/withdrawal. I wasn't born yet for Brit withdrawal from Palestine('48) and too young for VNam pullout, so this event where the Americans will be handed their arse for a hat...Im looking forward to it.
Where's your Wolfowitz now, 'W'?
Hoooray!  

But let's not let it go unoticed that the war according to Satan's little helper...(that would be) The Dick said that 'Iraq withdrawal will waste troops sacrifice'...

Well DUH!  What does he want another 4K+ to die for NOTHING!  What a putz!
A: Pentagon and military officials report that the withdrawal of most U.S. military forces from Iraq's major cities has been completed


B: Despite the withdrawal, many U.S. military forces will remain in the cities,

So which is it? A or B? Or does it depend on the defintion of the word "many"?

[Neither the military or Pentagon could provide a specific number of U.S. forces left behind.]

You'd think that would be an important number to know.
What ever happened to those Weapons of Mass Destruction ??

Did they EVER find any ??

At least a stick with a nail on the end ??

How about a hula hoop with a nail in it ?
(a navel Destroyer !)


Does Bush ahve to proclaim: 'Mission Accomplished' before we're REALLY Done ??
Thank you John McCain for the surge that allowed safe withdrawal to occur.
This will help save a few billion dollars and thousands of lives.

Thank you President Obama for starting to bring home our troops.
Nice to know that many fewer of our troops are out of harms way. Thanks Mr. President as this saves us both blood and treasure!

I look forward to the day when the "In Memorium" section of ABC's This Week says that 0 personnel were KIA in Iraq and Afghanistan last week.

The troops have done their jobs, now we have to finish the withdrawl and move on out of there!
They forgot to mention that troops will remain and we will still have a billion dollar embassy sitting in the middle of iraq.

mostly done my butt!
From whatreallyhappened.com:

'...How the Iraq war was sold to the US public


"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."

George W Bush, 5/24/05 [wma download]


Also, the media can legally lie to "catapult the propaganda" - example.

Dick Cheney
Speech to VFW National Convention, August 26, 2002
Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.

George W. Bush
Speech to UN General Assembly, September 12, 2002
Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons.

Ari Fleischer
Press Briefing, December 2, 2002
If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world.

Ari Fleischer
Press Briefing, January 9, 2003
We know for a fact that there are weapons there.

George W. Bush
State of the Union Address, January 28, 2003
Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.

Colin Powell
Remarks to UN Security Council, February 5, 2003
We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more.

George W. Bush
Radio Address, February 8, 2003
We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have.

Colin Powell
Interview with Radio France International, February 28, 2003
If Iraq had disarmed itself, gotten rid of its weapons of mass destruction over the past 12 years, or over the last several months since (UN Resolution) 1441 was enacted, we would not be facing the crisis that we now have before us . . . But the suggestion that we are doing this because we want to go to every country in the Middle East and rearrange all of its pieces is not correct.

Colin Powell
Remarks to UN Security Council, March 7, 2003
So has the strategic decision been made to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction by the leadership in Baghdad? . . . I think our judgment has to be clearly not.

George W. Bush
Address to the Nation, March 17, 2003
Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised...'


Other than that, they were pretty accurate....
If not for this unjust and unnecessary war, the protesters in Iran may have overthrown the oppressive theocracy long ago. Getting rid of the sunni ruling Saddam Hussein government kept the Iranians in check while they held power in Iraq. Throwing the Bathists out of power allowed Iran to become the super power in the region unchecked...
I appreciate that Obama followed Bush's strategy of withdrawing troops when Military leaders said it should happen. I pray that Iraq fights for freedom and liberation that our country gave to them and many good men and women died for.


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