The Administration’s much celebrated shift from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn has been criticized as deceptive given the over 50,000 soldiers remaining in the country. Now, according to Army Times, it appears that the Administration simply renamed combat units and left them in the country.
The Administration arranged for plenty of cameras to capture the image of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team leaving the country while it quietly reclassified another Stryker brigade as an Advise and Assist Brigade. That “assist” part involves combat. The Army Times reports that there are seven Advise and Assist Brigades in Iraq. They include four from the 3rd Infantry Division; the 1st Heavy Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division.
Of course, Obama could be taking a chapter about of the Book of Vietnam — classifying large numbers of combat troops as “advisers.”
Source: Army Times
At least 50 people have been killed in a series of apparently co-ordinated bomb attacks across Iraq.
The deadliest killed 19 people in the southern city of Kut. Several blasts hit Baghdad, including a suicide bombing in which 15 died.
There were also attacks in other major cities. Officials blame al-Qaeda.
Correspondents say the violence highlights fears about the stability of Iraq ahead of the formal end of US combat operations next week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11081603
NBC News and news services
updated 8/25/2010 12:00:09 PM ET
KABUL — The Obama administration’s plan to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011 is giving a morale boost to the Taliban, Afghan officials said Wednesday, echoing remarks made by a top U.S. military official a day earlier.
“This is giving more reason and propaganda for the anti-government elements to prolong the fight,” Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimy said of President Barack Obama’s timetable on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
“Such assertions could be used in favor of insurgents for … empowering their forces and giving reasons to fight,” he said. “The withdrawal should be based on the capability of the Afghan security forces.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38848589/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/
Troops still deploying to Mideast from BIA
“It’s funny because the big thing on the news as we were getting ready to leave was all the big hoopla about all the combat forces coming out, so all the soldiers and their families are asking, ‘Why are we going?’” Lt. Col. Bryan Mullins said.
“Well, we said it was the difference between the guys whose job it is to fight versus guys whose primary job it is to help people, or secure people, who are doing something else,” he said.
“So we are combat arms soldiers — I’m a tanker, we’ve got other tankers and artillery. But our job in Iraq is primarily going to be to training Iraqi security forces, cops, the [Iraqi] army, the border forces — they’ve got huge border forces,” he said.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Statewide/Troops-still-deploying-to-Mideast-from-BIA,152133
And for the record, I’m “for” the team not represented by TDS correspondents – Team Stupid Evil.
W= ^..^
I love The Daily Show and I think Jon Stewart is a very funny guy.
What isn’t funny is that a comedian is just about the only source for actual news left to Americans.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-23-2010/the-parent-company-trap
Don’t worry about the 50,000 troops in Iraq. The new dictator will throw them out in the next year or two. If not, many are already suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries and need to be sent home for (probably long-term) physical and mental treatment. These men and women have been sent into combat areas over and over by officers who knew, or should have known what they were doing to these Soldiers and Marines. PTSD or “Battle Fatigue” or “Shell Shock” has been studied during and after World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. There is little or nothing medical science doesn’t know about this terrible mental disorder or its causes. And yet none of these officers, from the lowest ranking 2nd Lieutenant all the way up to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke out against this crime forcefully enough to get it stopped. I’m not forgetting the civilian command of the Defense Department all the way up to two Presidents of the United States, George W.Bush and Barak Obama.
What are you guys talking about? We’ve always used combat troops as advise and assist in Eastasia.
Isabel Darcy 1, August 23, 2010 at 10:06 am
[snip]
This reminds me of the old Vietnam game when in the early days we sent troops to Vietnam but called them “military advisors”.
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It does seem strange that our exit from Iraq is so similar to our entrance into full involvement in Vietnam…
SWM.
Ah, the point trying to be made is as follows…They never give up..even when they have lost. I read an international article the other day about the “Jihad” starting a cathedral on fire in Cardoba, Spain this was in 2007. I am still trying to figure out what happened in that year. But this is one that strikes me a pecuniary in nature. They have (the Catholic Church) a vested interest in maintaining peace. They have a lot more to lose.
http://politics.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/04/16/a-rift-over-iraq-between-president-and-pope.html You can blame the Catholic Church for many things but not the Iraq war. Both popes were against it.
You know, this whole smoke and mirrors/shell game could blow up in Obama’s face. As long as there are troops there, it doesn’t matter how they’re classified. If they have weapons, they’re combat troops. This is getting to sound very “Bushian.”
This reminds me of the old Vietnam game when in the early days we sent troops to Vietnam but called them “military advisors”.
Whatever you call them, however you classify them they are still US troops that need our support. Just because Bush (Cheney) was Oil and the opportunity for retaliatory Justice does not mean that we should not support them.
I was one of the first opponents against going there in the first place. But since we are there now, we’ll have to stay the rest of my life at least. The Catholics found out many and taught many years ago how barbarism really works. Something about some Catholic and Muslim at War seems to ring a bell with me, its been going on a long, long time. The latest was in Serbia. The wars that will never end and who really wins.
I know this one is about oil…I am sorry…weapons of mass destruction…..
The President can brag about his military exit for political points. The fact remains, the 50,000 military can be called support or community organizers. They still are 50,000 military troops. Claiming the combat mission is over, is akin to “mission accomplished” banner.