http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/timetable/ en-us Wed, 2 Dec 2009 01:12:59 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2398051/posts Here is video of Charles Krauthammer on "Special Report" questioning if Obama is "committed to success" in Afghanistan. Krauthammer said a timetable for withdrawal sends a bad signal to our allies in Afghanistan by saying "in 18 months the Americans are going to start to leave, and you will be left naked against the Taliban, who will be angry if you help the Americans during the 18 months." (Video) Freedom's Lighthouse http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2398051/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 01:12:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394517/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort. After months of deliberation and fending off Republican charges that he was dithering on Afghanistan while violence there surged, Obama will address the nation on Tuesday on the way forward in the costly and unpopular eight-year war. He is expected to announce he is sending about 30,000 more troops as part of a new counterinsurgency strategy that will place greater emphasis... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394517/posts#comment Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:36:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2379647/posts BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Green groups and activists for the developing world accused rich nations of tiptoeing away from vows to seal a binding, far-reaching UN treaty on climate change in Copenhagen next month. Their bitter response came after European Union (EU) negotiators in Barcelona spelt out the likelihood that the much-trumpeted pact would be concluded in 2010, not at the December 7-18 meeting as planned. The talks, launched under a two-year "road map" in Bali, call for a global accord to curb emissions of heat-trapping carbon gases beyond 2012 and channel funds to poor countries most threatened by drought,... AFP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2379647/posts#comment Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:31:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322881/posts BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that German troops would stay in Afghanistan until their goals were achieved, dismissing the possibility of setting a timeline for withdrawal. In an interview with ZDF television being aired Sunday night, provided in advance to the AP, Merkel said she could not commit to bringing the troops home in a specific timeframe. She said she wanted them home “as soon as possible” but not until the mission was complete. “We have a goal, and that is self-sustaining security for Afghanistan,” she said. She would not speculate on when that goal might be reached.... Edmonton Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322881/posts#comment Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:18:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320901/posts Q As you say, the complexity of this training effort, particularly with the Iraqi air force -- again, do you think that some trainers, U.S. trainers and mentors, will be needed after 2011? GEN. HELMICK: Well, I guess it depends on how we identify air sovereignty for the Iraqi air force. There will be a team that comes here from Washington, D.C., in the next week or so, to kind of refine where the Iraqi air force is and where they think the Iraqi air force should be, based on the current glide path, if you will, on procurement of... DefenseLink http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320901/posts#comment Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:34:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315614/posts WASHINGTON – The Pentagon presented a grim portrait of the Afghanistan war Thursday, offering no assurances about how long Americans will be fighting there or how many U.S. combat troops it will take to win. Defeating the Taliban and al-Qaida will take "a few years," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, with success on a larger scale in the desperately poor country a much longer proposition. He acknowledged that the Taliban has a firm hold on parts of the country President Barack Obama has called vital to U.S. security. Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315614/posts#comment Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:25:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311628/posts <p>"WHERE are the Ameri cans?" Talk to Iraqis in Baghdad these days, and you'll likely hear the question.</p> <p>Of course, everyone knows where the Americans are physically. The 130,000 US troops cantoned in a diminishing number of barracks outside the cities make their presence felt on occasion. The thousands of civilian Americans who are helping build a new Iraq are also easy to spot.</p> NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311628/posts#comment Sat, 8 Aug 2009 23:14:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276027/posts US commander in Iraq claims the military has largely honored the security agreement with Baghdad amid, what he claimed to be, a relative lull in militant activities. On Monday, General Ray Odierno said the pullout from urban areas was on the go with the troops having left the Iraqi forces in charge of 142 former US bases, Xinhua reported. Briefing a press conference in Baghdad, he suggested a link between the withdrawal and an alleged respite in al-Qaeda-linked attacks -- which the United States projects as an outcome its invasion of Iraq. Odierno claimed the US was 'absolutely committed' to... PressTV and Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276027/posts#comment Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:57:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271905/posts As the U.S. military continues its slow withdrawal from Iraq, the Iraqi people face a decision that might force those efforts into overdrive. A referendum scheduled for July 30 would give Iraqis the chance to vote for or against the Iraqi-U.S. security agreement that calls for all American troops to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011. If the referendum goes ahead as scheduled and Iraqi voters reject the agreement — a likely outcome, observers say — the United States would be obliged to pull out troops one year after the vote, or nearly 1½ years before the deadline set by... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271905/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:40:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269943/posts All but a few dozen of the 16,000 Marines now in Iraq will be out by next spring, the Marine Corps commandant said Thursday, putting a solid end date on a long-anticipated exit. Gen. James T. Conway said his Marine commanders are already moving equipment out of Anbar Province, where his forces have largely been concentrated. But the larger exodus will begin shortly after the Iraqi elections.... Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269943/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:55:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263441/posts U.S. combat forces will vacate all Iraqi cities on schedule by the end of this month, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Tuesday, including the still violent insurgent holdout of Mosul. washington post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263441/posts#comment Wed, 3 Jun 2009 02:24:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2258649/posts The Pentagon is prepared to leave fighting forces in Iraq for as long as a decade despite an agreement between the United States and Iraq that would bring all American troops home by 2012, the top U.S. Army officer said Tuesday. Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, said the world remains dangerous and unpredictable, and the Pentagon must plan for extended U.S. combat and stability operations in two wars. "Global trends are pushing in the wrong direction," Casey said. "They fundamentally will change how the Army works." He spoke at an invitation-only briefing to a dozen journalists and... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2258649/posts#comment Tue, 26 May 2009 22:57:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227624/posts WASHINGTON, April 12, 2009 – The U.S. is on track to meet the terms of a timeline of withdrawal from Iraq, the top American commander in Iraq said today. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said he believes the U.S. is prepared to fulfill a deal requiring U.S. forces to leave major Iraqi cities by June 30 and all combat troops to depart the country by the end of 2011. “We continue to work with the government of Iraq so they can meet that timeline so that they are able to maintain stability after... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227624/posts#comment Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:26:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227173/posts RAMADI, Iraq – As the Marine Corps shrinks its footprint in Iraq's western desert, Iraqi community leaders here are publicly voicing worries about what will happen once the Americans are gone. They fear a wave of corruption and the return of the insurgency that once held sway over the area. Marines have begun divorcing themselves from the task of advising local leaders, the clearest signal that their role in Anbar province is quickly nearing its end. An Associated Press reporter embedded with the troops witnessed two cases in a single day of Iraqis — a headmistress and a party of... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2227173/posts#comment Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:32:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209732/posts Iraqi, U.S. officials cite different pullout terms As the endgame of the U.S. involvement in Iraq develops, some plans are in place but there are several practical questions that remain unanswered. Under the withdrawal plan announced by President Barack Obama in late February, some 35,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq from summer 2010 to the end of 2011. Their mission is supposed to be limited to training Iraqi forces, conducting counter-terrorism operations, and protecting U.S. civilian and military personnel operating in the country. Some of the previous ideas about a continuing U.S. presence in the region have... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209732/posts#comment Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:39:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2203014/posts Grenades lie unattended next to a west Mosul bazaar. Garbage bags throughout the city are searched daily for bombs. At a sprawling sheep market, Iraqi army soldiers are careful not to kick over rocks for fear of setting off hidden explosives. War has ebbed in most parts of Iraq, but not in Mosul, the third-largest city and Al Qaeda's last stronghold in the fragile new democracy. And time is running out on the around-the-clock U.S. military patrols of Mosul. U.S. troops must vacate cities by June 30 under an agreement with the Iraqis, and President Obama is ending all American... Associated Press/Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2203014/posts#comment Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:44:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202919/posts WASHINGTON, March 9, 2009 – Military leaders in Iraq have begun working toward achieving President Barack Obama’s goal of a complete troop withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2010, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said during a briefing from Iraq yesterday. “Between now and September … we’ll be reducing by two brigade combat teams here on the ground in Iraq,” Army Maj. Gen. David Perkins, the command’s director for strategic effects, said. “We’ll also be reducing the number of various enablers.” Enablers are the units that make it possible for the brigade combat teams to carry out their missions,... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202919/posts#comment Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:18:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2197197/posts Here is video of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Admiral Mike Mullen - talking with CNN's John King yesterday about President Obama's timeline for withdrawal of all U.S. "Combat" Troops from Iraq. Mullen says he is very comfortable with the plan decided on, and that Obama did listen to his commanders in the field in making this decision. It is hilarious to me that Obama is touting the withdrawal of all "combat" troops by August 2010 to cover himself on his campaign pledge to pull out of Iraq. The only thing is, he is leaving 50,000 Troops... Freedom's Lighthouse http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2197197/posts#comment Mon, 2 Mar 2009 14:03:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196837/posts Battle building amongst Dems over Iraq troop-reduction planBy Susan Ferrechio Chief Congressional Correspondent 3/1/09 “I donÂ’t think we should leave any troops there,” Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who heads the defense appropriations subcommittee that allocates war funds said about the troop-reduction plan. ..Congressional Democrats’ misgivings about President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce troop levels in Iraq has set the stage for potentially major conflicts between Capitol Hill and the White House in the months ahead.Obama’s announcement Friday that he will leave between 35,000 and 50,000 troops in Iraq after August 2010 brought lukewarm responses from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,... The Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196837/posts#comment Sun, 1 Mar 2009 20:56:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196212/posts President Obama's announcement of an 18-month timeline today for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq included a notable nod to his U.S. military commanders. "Let there be no doubt," he acknowledged during a visit to Camp Lejeune, N.C. "Iraq is not yet secure." He added that "too many fundamental questions remain unresolved." No one is more aware of this point than the U.S. military. President Obama's plan to bring U.S. troops home ultimately represents a compromise between top U.S. military commanders on the ground in Iraq--who pushed for a slower-than-16-month timeline while warning the president and his advisers that Iraq... AINA (Assyrian International News Agency) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196212/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:14:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196330/posts President Obama on Saturday struck back aggressively at critics of his $3.6 trillion budget proposal, casting himself as a populist crusader whose "sweeping change" has angered Washington's entrenched special interests, and promised to fight them. "I realize that passing this budget won't be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington," Mr. Obama said in his weekly video and radio address. Mr. Obama's language was combative and confrontational, as he promised to fight for "American families." "I know these steps won't sit well with the special interests and lobbyists... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196330/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:04:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2195616/posts By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington and Andrew Ward at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama pledged to remove combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of entering the White House. John McCain, his opponent, strongly disagreed with the imposition of an artificial timetable, saying he would rather lose the presidency than the war. It is a measure of how much has changed over the past six months that Mr McCain is now one of the chief cheerleaders for Mr ObamaÂ’s plan to withdraw US combat troops from Iraq by August 2010. The former Republican presidential nominee... Financial Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2195616/posts#comment Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:06:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2196250/posts In announcing the US’s plans to withdraw from Iraq, and going as far as setting a date, President Obama has literally given away the Iraqi store. Citing progress, the continually improving Iraqi training cycles, and Afghanistan the United States has given the terrorist organization plenty of times to order new drapes and carpeting. artorius castus blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2196250/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:17:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196110/posts After nearly six years of war and 4,300 US military deaths, President Obama declared yesterday that combat operations in Iraq will end in 18 months and that most US troops will head home by then - but that the vast majority of the 142,000 troops now on the ground will stay through the end of this year to safeguard Iraq's national elections in December. The president announced that 35,000 to 50,000 troops will stay in the country as late as Dec. 31, 2011, the full withdrawal deadline set by Iraqi leaders and President George W. Bush, and that Obama pledged... boston globe http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196110/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:29:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196070/posts WASHINGTON - After years of bitterly debating whether to set a timetable for troop withdrawals in Iraq, Congress has agreed to one. The general consensus came Friday in the form of statements endorsing President Barack Obama's plan to bring home roughly two-thirds of the U.S. military force in Iraq by August 2010. It was a compromise of sorts for the Democratic president, who campaigned on the promise of bringing every soldier and Marine home from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. His plan paves the way for some 100,000 troops to come home and as many as 50,000 troops... PeoplePC Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196070/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:43:55 GMT