Sunday, December 16, 2007
Two news events in Iraq
In the south of Iraq, along the US supply routes from Kuwait, the British have turned over all security responsibilities to our reliable Iraqi allies.
Do you think that Our Dear Embattled leader was informed of this?
British forces formally handed over responsibility Sunday for the last region in Iraq under their control, marking the start of what Britain hopes will be a transition to a mission aimed at aiding the economy and providing jobs in an oil-rich region beset by militia infighting.This has the ever able Gen. Odie Colognie on alert.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, said the handover was "the right thing to do" for southern Iraq, but American officials worry that a power vacuum could heighten the influence of Iran and threaten land routes used to bring ammunition, food and other supplies from Kuwait to U.S. troops to the north.This necessary caution may explain the new course of action planned for Baghdad.
"What we have to watch is undue Iranian influence," Odierno told a small gathering of reporters in Baghdad.
In a change of plans, American commanders in Iraq have decided to keep their forces concentrated in Baghdad when the buildup strategy ends next year, removing troops instead from outlying areas of the country.And if the overland supply route is seriously interdicted, aerial resupply and/or evacuation is a lot easier when your forces are concentrated.
The change represents the military's first attempt to confront its big challenge in 2008: how to cut the number of troops without sacrificing security.
The shift in deployment strategy, described by senior U.S. military officials in Iraq and Washington, is based on concerns that despite recent improvements, the capital could again erupt into widespread violence without an imposing American military presence.
Do you think that Our Dear Embattled leader was informed of this?
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