US planning to stay in Iraq for up to four years
The US Army Chief of Staff, Peter J. Schoomaker, said in an interview yesterday that the US is planning for the possible requirement to keep over 100 000 troops in Iraq for the next four years, the Washington Post reports.
Not surprising – they have completely lost control of the town of Haditha, which is 3 hours drive from Baghdad and the US is obviously miles from the White House’s understanding of introducing self-determination into Iraq. Where they will get the neccessary troops for an extended operation of this size is unclear – the US Army has repeatedly missed its own targets for recruiting and the situation is becoming more difficult after growing criticism about the US being in Iraq at all.
Shoomaker’s remarks won’t sit well with George Bush, who is still pushing everything he’s got for a withdrawal of US troops before the next US elections – even to the extent of removing a US veto today on making Islam a cornerstone of the new Iraqi constitution, which must be passed to the Iraqi parliament for approval by midnight tonight.