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Plan Would Keep Small Force in Iraq Past Deadline

2011-09-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is supporting a plan that would keep 3,000 to 4,000 American troops in Iraq after a deadline for their withdrawal at year’s end, but only to continue training security forces there, a senior military official said on Tuesday.

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Pool photo by Paul J. Richards

Leon E. Panetta, left, and Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III in Iraq in July. Mr. Panetta is said to support keeping troops there longer.

Iraq Army Bus Is Ambushed; 9 Are Killed (September 7, 2011)
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Times Topic: Iraq

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The recommendation would break a longstanding pledge by President Obama to withdraw all American forces from Iraq by the deadline. But it would still involve significantly fewer forces than proposals presented at the Pentagon in recent weeks by the senior American commander in Iraq, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, to keep as many as 14,000 to 18,000 troops there.

The proposal for a smaller force — if approved by the White House and the Iraqi government, which is not yet certain — reflected the shifting political realities in both countries.

It also reflected the tension between Mr. Obama’s promise to bring all American forces home and the widely held view among commanders that Iraq is not yet able to provide for its own security. And it reflected the mounting pressures to reduce the costs of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, both wars that have become increasingly unpopular as the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, approaches.

Even as the military reduces its troop strength in Iraq, the C.I.A. will continue to have a major presence in the country, as will security contractors working for the State Department.

In Iraq, a lingering American military presence is hugely contentious, even though some political leaders, especially among the Kurds and Sunnis, would like some American troops to stay as a buffer against what they fear will be Shiite political dominance, coupled in turn with the rising influence of neighboring Iran.

Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite, has also indicated he would consider allowing American trainers to stay beyond the deadline, negotiated by President George W. Bush. At the same time, he owes his position as prime minister to the political followers of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who vehemently opposes any Americans remaining.

The Iraqi cabinet authorized the beginning of talks over an American military presence, but insisted that they be limited to a training mission, a senior administration official said. Mr. Panetta’s recommendation fell “within the confines of what the Iraqis said they need,” the official said.

Mr. Panetta himself, in comments to reporters as he traveled to New York for a Sept. 11 commemoration on Tuesday, said that no decisions had been made about how many American troops would remain in Iraq after the end of this year.

But despite the reluctance of several administration officials to publicly get out ahead of a formal recommendation and a presidential decision on such a delicate issue, as a practical matter Mr. Panetta has almost run out of time for the military to plan the logistics of a withdrawal by year’s end.

A recommendation to keep 3,000 American troops, first reported on Tuesday by Fox News, would leave in place a token force where many commanders had hoped to see a robust presence continue in a region that is viewed as strategic to American interests.

News of the plan was met with dismay by three senators who visited Iraq many times during the war: Joseph I. Lieberman, the Connecticut independent, and his Republican colleagues John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The three released a statement calling the 3,000 troops “dramatically lower than what our military leaders” have said “is needed to support Iraq in safeguarding the hard-won gains that our two nations have achieved at such great cost.”

Mr. Obama has steadily withdrawn troops from Iraq since taking office — to fewer than 50,000 now from more than 140,000 in January 2009 — without the drastic deterioration of security that many predicted along the way.

With the deadline for a final withdrawal now less than four months away, the debate over what if any to leave has intensified. Iraq remains deeply unsettled, if less violent than the worst years of the war in 2006 and 2007. In the last several weeks, a string of bombings and attacks have intensified the violence, renewing fears about Iraq’s ability to main security without American backup. Its political system, though democratic, remains riven by sectarian conflicts and crippled by corruption.

YouTube Blog: Elmo answers your questions about housing prices on Sesame Street, Cookie’s veggie intake, and more

2010-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

YouTube Blog: Elmo answers your questions about housing prices on Sesame Street, Cookie’s veggie intake, and more

Twitter Blog: Location, Location, Location

2009-08-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

Twitter Blog: Location, Location, Location

2009-08-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Twitter Blog: Location, Location, Location

Batman Learning Laptop

2009-01-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

We have seen both Transformers and Star Wars versions of these learining laptops. Now, with the new Batman movie out, it’s no surprise that Oregon Scientific has decided to release a “Dark Knight” model.

Gear up for Gotham City adventures, plus a whole lot of learning, with this Batman-themed laptop. Through cool activities and games, young superheroes can hone school skills like math, spelling, music, logic and more. Easy-to-use keyboard and sleek Batman styling make this one laptop that’s sure to save the day.

Honda 49-foot Robot

2009-01-03T05:33:00.001-08:00

Honda has tested a 49-foot replica of their ASIMO humanoid robot, that’s 12 times the height of the original. The animated replica will be a guest of honor at the 120th Rose Parade as well as kick off Honda’s 50th anniversary of U.S. operations.

The creation called “Hats Off in Celebration” will be completed with natural materials like lettuce seed, rice, carnations and strawflower. The float will be joined by the Prairie View A&M University Marching Band, a past participant in the Honda Battle of the Bands featuring the music programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

A few members of the band will ride on the float, which will be immediately followed by the entire marching band. In addition, during the parade the FCX Clarity pace car will be accompanied by the Honda Super Cub motorcycle, the first model sold in the U.S.

For more information about Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot, head on over to honda.com and make sure to check out the official Honda YouTube channel.

The christmass tree usb

2009-01-03T05:32:00.001-08:00

This Christmas tree inspired USB 2.0 flash drive comes with an 8GB storage capacity and the option to protect your files with an AES-256 bit hardware encryption.

Features:

Durable Solid Rubber Casing with Bold Colors
Custom Design Options Available with Nominal Tooling Fees
Hot Plug and Play; Functions Like Another Hard Drive
Supports Password Protection
Supports AES-256bit Hardware Encryption (optional)
No Driver Needed for Most OS (Windows 98SE Driver Available Online)
LED Indicates Power, Busy
More Than 10 Years Data Retention
Capacity: 8 GB
Interface: USB 2.0
Dimension: 63.7 x 26.3 x 15 mm

Wireless USB Keypad with Trackball for everyone

2009-01-03T05:21:00.001-08:00

This wireless keypad features 19 standard keys, 13 hot keys and a high precision 1000DPI trackball. The wireless transfer is done using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency.

Features:

19 keys slim link off keyboard
Built-in trackball for optical mouse
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Operating distance: 10 meters
Operating frequency: 2.4GHz Radio frequency
Operating current: 35mA max. (Keybaord)
Operating current: 15mA max. (Receiver)
FN: Num lock change function
Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Dimension: 114 x 134 x 25mm (approx.)
Weight: 143g
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Mouse Left Key, Mouse Right Key
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Window Magnifier
www, Email, Media, Power Point, Word, Excel
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The Wireless USB Keypad with Trackball is available from USB Brando for $37.

All latest news from New York Times and Washington!

Plan Would Keep Small Force in Iraq Past Deadline

Pool photo by Paul J. Richards

Related

Iraq Army Bus Is Ambushed; 9 Are Killed (September 7, 2011)

News Analysis: In Shadow of Death, Iraq and U.S. Tiptoe Around a Deadline (July 15, 2011)

Times Topic: Iraq

Readers’ Comments

YouTube Blog: Elmo answers your questions about housing prices on Sesame Street, Cookie’s veggie intake, and more

Twitter Blog: Location, Location, Location

Twitter Blog: Location, Location, Location

Batman Learning Laptop

Honda 49-foot Robot

The christmass tree usb

Wireless USB Keypad with Trackball for everyone