The Administration has heralded the withdrawal of the last combat troops from Iraq as evidence that it is partially keeping campaign promises to pull out of Iraq. What has been largely ignored in coverage is not only that 50,000 military personnel remain but the Administration is going to double the number of security contractors to take up the slack. That is the change from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.

The Obama administration is planning to more than double the number of private security guards it has in Iraq — up to 7,000 — according to the New York Times. They could find a few extras in Afghanistan where the Administration was surprised with an order to get its civilian security forces — most of the 45,000 contractors — out of the country.

Source: New York Times