(I BELIEVE THIS WOULD BREAK THE SOFA AGREEMENT) A move that could force President Obama to break his vow to get all combat troops out of Iraq by August of this year

[TAV]

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts...y6242378.shtml


Odierno requests more combat forces in Iraq -- beyond the Obama deadline

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 2:39 PM Share



A Best Defense Exclusive:
In a move that could force President Obama to break his vow to get all combat troops out of Iraq by August of this year, his top commander in Iraq recently officially requested keeping a combat brigade in the northern part of the country beyond that deadline, three people close to the situation said Wednesday.
Gen. Raymond Odierno asked for a brigade to try to keep the peace in the disputed city of Kirkuk, but only got a polite nod from the president when the issue was raised during his recent meetings in Washington, according to two of the people familiar with the discussions. If the brigade in northern Iraq is indeed kept in Iraq past the deadline, there will be a fan dance under which it no longer will be called a combat unit, but like the six other combat brigades being kept past the deadline, will be called an advisory unit. I can imagine the press releases that will follow-"Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed last night in an advisory operation . . . ."
The feeling in the corridors of the White House is that the general is asking the right questions, but a bit clumsily, and certainly too early for political comfort, especially in Iraq, which is about to hold a national election. So I suspect the administration's bottom line for Odierno was, Hey, Shreko, put a sock in it until after the Iraqi elections, because what we need is a new Iraqi government to be formed so it can quietly begin talking to us about re-visiting some of those 2008 SOFA agreements about future troop levels.

This debate is just beginning. I expect that Obama actually is going to have to break his promises on Iraq and keep a fairly large force in Iraq, but of course that won't be the first time he's had to depart from his campaign rhetoric on this war.

Speaking of which, CNAS, the little think tank that could, plans today to post a report (Update: now posted) by me titled The Burden about the way forward in Iraq. It argues that we need to think about keeping troops there for many years, not because I think it is a good answer, but because I think it is the least bad one.
Let's open the betting: How many U.S. military personnel will be in Iraq four years from today--that is, Feb. 25, 2014? The person who guesses closest gets a signed copy of any of my books. My guess: 28,895. Not "combat" troops, of course! Goodness no. Just "advisory" troops who carry M-16s and call in airstrikes and such.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02...y6242378.shtml




I SAY LET'S MAKE IRAQ THE 51 STATE AND FORCE A RV!!

[TAV]

Tehran's vote-buying in Iraq
Thursday, 25 February 2010
The Washington Post

Op-Ed Columnist

By David Ignatius
Thursday, February 25, 2010; A23

Iran is conducting what U.S. officials say is a broad covert-action campaign to influence Iraq's elections next month, pumping money and other assistance to its allies. The best way to counter this assault, American officials have decided, is by exposing it publicly.

The most direct criticism of Iran's meddling has come from Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. In meetings with reporters during a visit to Washington last week, he focused on the role played by Ahmed Chalabi, an Iraqi who lobbied the Bush administration to invade Iraq in 2003 and is now alleged to be working closely with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Odierno has also briefed top Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on U.S. intelligence reports about the Iranian campaign. A source provided me with an unclassified summary of Odierno's briefing, which included the following allegations:

-- "Iran provides money, campaign materials, and political training to various individual candidates and political parties [in Iraq].

-- "Iran interferes in Iraq's political process, urging alliances that not all Iraqi politicians favor, in an effort to consolidate power among parties supported by Iran. For example . . . Ahmed Chalabi met with IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and Iranian Foreign Minister [Manouchehr] Mottaki in late November to discuss" the merger of two slates of Shiite candidates backed by Iran.

-- "Iran supports de-Baathification efforts engineered by Ahmed Chalabi for the purpose of eliminating potential obstacles to Iranian influence. Chalabi is also interested in Iran's assistance in securing the office of Prime Minister.

-- "According to all-source intelligence, Ahmed Chalabi visited Iran at least three times since last year. Additionally, he met with key Iranian leaders in Iraq on at least five occasions."

The decision to release this sort of intelligence information is unusual, and it reflects concern across the U.S. government about Iran's push to shape the March 7 Iraqi balloting. The United States has "information operations" and other activities in Iraq to counter the Iranians, but apparently it has not mounted a full-scale covert-action campaign of its own, in part because of a desire not to manipulate a democracy that America helped create.

http://www.iranfocus.com/en/iraq/teh...raq-19803.html



THERE IS MORE YOU CAN READ FOR YOURSELVES!!!

[EatAtJoes]

The American people aren't going to like that.

It is what it is though. It's out of Obama's control.
He's lucky Iraq has made even this much progress so far.

Though I am for a RV, I don't see how that would solve all the violence issues. There are many Taliban memebers who gave up lucrative jobs and were very wealthy to become 'freedom fighters'. (according to a PBS program I recently saw.) So money doesn't seem to motivate everyone.

Anyone with explanations on that is welcome.

[TAV]

Iraq, Iran and the politics of oil

Crude diplomacy

Iraq has ambitious plans for its oil industry. That could have important implications for Iran and the rest of the region

Feb 18th 2010 | BASRA AND UMM QASR | From The Economist print edition

Getty Images

IN EARLY September 1960 the Iraqi government hosted officials from Venezuela and three Gulf countries for an obscure five-day conference in Baghdad. Wearing suits rather than robes, and sitting at a plain wooden table, they founded the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). For the next three decades Iraq helped to lead the oil cartel as both membership and output grew rapidly. But its influence declined in 1990 when it invaded another founding member, Kuwait, and fell under United Nations sanctions. Despite having the world’s third-largest reserves of oil, Iraq dropped to 13th place in the international production table. Pipelines rusted, wells remained untended and engineers emigrated.

Iraq is now trying to recover its glory, with plans to quadruple production or more. This could transform the global oil industry; it also threatens two other founding members of OPEC. Saudi Arabia might have to share its leadership of the organisation and Iran faces an even greater setback. Close relations with China, based on Beijing’s thirst for oil, have helped Iran to avoid isolation over its nuclear programme. But Chinese oil companies are now turning their attention to Iraq, with American backing.

http://www.economist.com/world/middl...ry_id=15549365



GEEZ THIS IS GETTING GOOD, LIKE A SOAP OPERA!!

IRAN IS GOING TO BE A PAIN IN THE BUTT FOR US LOOKING FOR A RV!!

I NEVER BELIEVED IRAQ WOULD JOIN THE GCC, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RESOURCES THAT WILL SET BOTH SAUDI ARABIA & IRAN BACK!!

ONCE THE OIL DEALS ARE COMPLETE AND THE DRILLING GETS STARTED, IRAN IS GOING TO TAKE A DEEP HIT IN THE POCKETS, CHINA SIGNED ONE OF THE BIGGEST DEAL IN IRAQ TO DEVELOPE ONE OF THE LARGEST OIL FIELDS!!

I CAN SEE MORE OF THE IMPLICATIONS AS FOR OUR INVESTMENT, HOPE FOR A NEW PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT ONCE ELECTIONS ARE OVER!!

[GLORYFIRE]

Iraq will prosper with us as well money will create stability in iraq its a win win situation for all obama becomes our hereo here and iraq rv will make them stable and secure so we both win our defecit will be covered along with theres iraq is not all just dirt roads folks they have homes just like we do the media only shows you the violence not the good good dont sell papers trouble does

People, please punctuate properly!

[Touch]

The American people aren't going to like that.

It is what it is though. It's out of Obama's control.
He's lucky Iraq has made even this much progress so far.

Though I am for a RV, I don't see how that would solve all the violence issues. There are many Taliban members who gave up lucrative jobs and were very wealthy to become 'freedom fighters'. (according to a PBS program I recently saw.) So money doesn't seem to motivate everyone.

Anyone with explanations on that is welcome.

Try not to confuse what's going on in Afghanistan with Iraq. I don't remember seeing Taliban members in Iraq.

[banditang]

.....................please....

"Obama our hero"? are you insane? That pile of garbage will be my hero on 1/20/2012 not one day sooner.I don't care if he cures cancer!

[Stout Hearted Man]

I believe the SOFA was designed to be flexable at Iraq's end so they could make requests like these if nessesary.

As for a politician breaking his promise...no surprise.

They'll say anything to get elected.

[crave681]

People, please punctuate properly!

not cool, doesnt add to thread, save that crap for inglish class.

[crave681]

Try not to confuse what's going on in Afghanistan with Iraq. I don't remember seeing Taliban members in Iraq.

i think his point was that alot of wealthy iraqis ALSO joined the militants
in iraq. Quite probable , actually, imo.

[TAV]

Iraqi Dinar Revaluation and New Denominations
News Type: Event — Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:14 PM EST.world-news, iraq, war, money, oil, finance, investing, gold, forex, investments, stock-exchange, iraqi-dinar, new-denominations, revaluations
Ezonez
advertisement

.Recently there has been many discussions about the current news in Iraq in regards to the increase of its currency value and the introduction of new denominations into the Iraqi economy that is scheduled to be brought into action sometime during 2010. The Iraq Finance Minister issued a statement disclosing preparation of increasing the value of the Dinar against the U.S. Dollar and will in fact issue ¼, 1/2, 1, 5, 10, 25 and possibly even 1/10 or 1/20 Dinar banknotes and/or coins. Also claims have been reported that favorable fiscal policies sought after in Iraq have contributed to the increase of the value of the Dinar against the U.S. Dollar, pointing out that the Dollar had dropped a great deal in value just over the past year and yet in another press release it has been said that the bank is indeed with great attention keeping track of the low demand of the U.S. Dollar in the Iraq markets of currency exchange

http://ezonez.newsvine.com/_news/201...-denominations

[panhead]

"Obama our hero"? are you insane? That pile of garbage will be my hero on 1/20/2012 not one day sooner.I don't care if he cures cancer!

don't be surprised...Al Gore invented the internet didn't he?

[GLORYFIRE]

not cool, doesnt add to thread, save that crap for inglish class.

You're not cool