Tuesday, July 07, 2009
While the Obama administration would like Americans to think the fanfare over American soldiers pulling out of Iraqi cities demonstrates the United States is on the way out of Iraq, the reality is that U.S. forces are still maintaining a strong presence in the war-torn country. In some ways the June 30 withdrawal required by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was an exercise in rearranging chess pieces, and not a move that substantially changes the U.S. position in Iraq. For example, although U.S. forces may no longer be based in Iraq’s cities, they can still patrol those same cities.
Although U.S. commanders have announced that Iraqi security forces have taken over 142 military outposts around Iraq, American troops still occupy 320 other outposts. In fact, they are even building new bases. Altogether, there remain 134,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, which is almost the same total from 2003, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he expects force levels to remain at an average of 100,000 through 2010. In addition, discussions about America’s presence in Iraq generally ignore the 36,000 U.S. defense contractors working in the country, many of whom work as heavily-armed security.
Things could change dramatically if the July 30 referendum takes place. That election will put the SOFA to a vote by the Iraqi people, who overwhelmingly want the U.S. out ASAP. If Iraqis reject the agreement, the U.S. would then be faced with a more immediate pullout of Iraq, unless Washington manages to negotiate a new plan with leaders in Baghdad.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
US Occupation of Iraq Continues Unabated (by Dahr Jamail, Truthout)
Withdrawing From Iraqi Cities, but Not Really (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Troops Reduce Presence in Iraqi Cities (by Chelsea J. Carter, Associated Press)
U.S. Troops to Pull Out of Baghdad…By Redrawing Map (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Withdrawing Combat Troops from Iraq…Kind of, Sort of, Maybe (by Aaron Wallechinsky, AllGov)
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