98,000 US Soldiers Still in Iraq with August 31 Deadline Looming

[Lasher]

During the campaign Obama said he would get our soldiers out of Iraq by the end of May this year. In February 2009 he said that all but 50,000 of them would be out by August 31, 2010. That deadline was three months later than the one he cited during the campaign. And he's re-classified 50,000 of them as 'non-combat' soldiers so that it will look like they won't be there until the end of 2012 when they are supposed to finally come out. Or not.

Promises, schmomises. Let's see how we're doing with the August 31 target.

In February 2009 there were 140,000 US soldiers in Iraq. That means we had 18 months to get 90,000 soldiers out. So far it's taken 13.5 months to get 42,000 soldiers out, an average of 3,111 per month. With 4.5 months left to remove 48,000 soldiers, we'll need to see a monthly average reduction of 22,777.

The troop level at the end of March was 98,000. The same as it was at the end of February. I don't believe we're going to see 50,000 or less by August 31.

Edit to furnish link: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Centers/Saban/Iraq%20Index/index.pdf (scroll to page 19)

[marylanddem]

1. We need to get the hell out of Iraq & Afghanistan NOW.

[joe black]

2. What's Obama gonna say.

We need to keep the troops in country until all the bad guys are caught. Watch for it.

[Lasher]

3. Conditions on the ground, don'tcha know.

Just six more months. Peace is at hand. I have a secret plan.

[unhappycamper]

4. "I have a secret plan."

I've heard that before:

[Lasher]

5. You are picking up what I am laying down.

We have seen this before. This is how it works. You give people a new promise, like the 'six more months' line Nixon fed the Quakers. Then folks calm down and start thinking about other things. Notice how Iraq is hardly mentioned in the news these days.

Well I haven't forgotten about Iraq. I have been watching this closely and occasionally I post something about it - not usually as an OP. With the new deadline closing in I decided to go ahead and put up this OP.

Getting the force level down to 50K isn't good enough. Being a military man, you know there is no such thing as a non-combat soldier. We need to get all of them out, and the mercenaries too. And we need to cut off war funding.

But I am tracking this specific troop reduction as you have seen. I hope I'm wrong. I hope we do reach 50K in 4.5 more months. We'll see.

[unhappycamper]

6. If he doesn't make the 50K number, I'm sure there will be a good cause.

Like the dog ate my homework... I'm not holding my breath.

[walldude]

7. Yeah I have been thinking about this the last couple weeks.

We are getting close to the "promised date". Not that I have any thoughts at all that we are actually going to pull out on time, but I'm wondering how long I will last listening to the excuses that are going to be made when we don't.

[Lasher]

8. My best guess is, they won't say anything and will hope nobody notices.

Then if this makes it into the news that's when their dog will start eating their homework.