BAGHDAD – Worries over increased violence fueled by Iraq's political instability have forced U.S. commanders to reconsider the pace of a major pullout this summer without overstepping a deadline to cut the military's presence by nearly half by the end of August.

More than two months after parliamentary elections, the next government has still not been formed, and militants aiming to exploit the void have carried out attacks like Monday's bombings and shootings that killed at least 119 people, in the country's bloodiest day of 2010.

The insurgent threat has prompted military officials to figure how to keep as many troops on the ground, for as long as possible, and still withdraw all but 50,000 U.S. troops by Aug. 31, as ordered last year by President Barack Obama.

In Baghdad and Washington, U.S. officials say they remain committed to the deadline, which would only be pushed back by Obama to deal with a severe worsening of Iraq's security.But the start of what the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. Ray Odierno, called the withdrawal "waterfall" — that is, the sending home large numbers of troops in a very swift period over the summer — could be effected.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100511/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_troop_withdrawal

:grr: :nuke: :grr:

I fear unless we STAND UP to our OWNERS, we'll be in Iraq for "the duration."

Guess we'll just have to keep sending in troops and spending money on "support services" until Iraq is politically stable.

I questioned the pacing. I looked at the Pentagon docs, and the option that we were on track for had large numbers coming home at a time from now until August.

Ordinar-o leaked the plausible scenario for not withdrawing early this year. Now, we are meeting this scenario. When we hit August 31st and have more than 50,000 troops in Iraq, the Obama Administration will lose a talking point one how they are ending the war in Iraq.

If Jan. 2012 comes and we still have any troops in Iraq....

Billions more down the drain. :woohoo: More lives lost, party on... :sarcasm: if really necessary.

I tried to rec, but still at zero.

don't recommend anything that makes "us" look bad.

even a sexy discussion point here anymore!

Maybe nobody expects us to leave.

We are not going anywhere, sadly. We were lied to.

oh and K and R.