Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A few weeks to two years
That is the expert opinion of how long it could take to remove the American presence from Irag. The difference is how much equipment and how many mercenaries you want to leave behind.
It would take nine to 12 months or longer to withdraw all troops, contractors and equipment safely from Iraq and phase out U.S. bases there, an analyst said after extensive talks with U.S. commanders and diplomats and Iraqi leaders in Baghdad.In one regard, it is fortunate that Our Dear Embattled Leader has decided to stay in Iraq. Given how badly they screwed the going in, you can just imagine what their idea of leaving would be like. Probably something like Elphey Bey and the Retreat From Kabool in 1842.
The U.S. military in Iraq would prefer a somewhat slower-paced scenario to complete a full pullout over two years, while other experts “indicate it would be feasible” to pull out 10,000 troops and 10,000 contractors a month through Kuwait, said Anthony H. Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
These estimates do not mean the U.S. could not leave Iraq quickly, Cordesman said in a weighty report that is certain to get serious congressional consideration.
The more equipment and facilities the U.S. and Iraqi forces abandon and destroy, the swifter the exodus, Cordesman said.
“Under these conditions, the U.S. could rush out in as little as a few weeks and no more than a few months,” he said.
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