President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of most US troops in Iraq by the end of August 2010. In a speech at a Marine Corps base, he said the US "combat mission" in Iraq would officially end by that time. But 35,000 to 50,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq will stay on into 2011 to advise Iraqi forces, target terror and protect US interests. Mr Obama praised the progress made but warned: "Iraq is not yet secure, and there will be difficult days ahead." Some Democrats are concerned that the timetable falls short of his election pledges on troop withdrawal.
President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of most US troops in Iraq by the end of August 2010.
In a speech at a Marine Corps base, he said the US "combat mission" in Iraq would officially end by that time.
But 35,000 to 50,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq will stay on into 2011 to advise Iraqi forces, target terror and protect US interests.
Mr Obama praised the progress made but warned: "Iraq is not yet secure, and there will be difficult days ahead."
Some Democrats are concerned that the timetable falls short of his election pledges on troop withdrawal.
Of course, it might just be a calm phase... but what speaks against this is the fact that as soon as the Americans started doing COIN after years and years of absolute bumbling, they got these real positive results. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
