Minister Sees Need for U.S. Help in Iraq Until 2018

By THOM SHANKER

FORT MONROE, Va. — The Iraqi defense minister said Monday that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on its own to defend Iraq’s borders from external threat until at least 2018.

Those comments from the minister, Abdul Qadir, were among the most specific public projections of a timeline for the American commitment in Iraq by officials in either Washington or Baghdad. And they suggested a longer commitment than either government had previously indicated.

Pentagon officials expressed no surprise at Mr. Qadir’s projections, which were even less optimistic than those he made last year.

President Bush has never given a date for a military withdrawal from Iraq but has repeatedly said that American forces would stand down as Iraqi forces stand up. Given Mr. Qadir’s assessment of Iraq’s military capabilities on Monday, such a withdrawal appeared to be quite distant, and further away than any American officials have previously stated in public...[Open in new window]

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In about a year we'll have a new president & team. Can you imagine all the stuff they're going to have to unfuckup?

That is if we have leadership that represents the people. The last time I checked the people wanted out of Iraq yesterday not in 2018.

I wish there was some way that the presidential candidates would answer questions directly from the people not questions filtered through the trivial dementia of monkey-clown-whores like Matthews, Russert, Wallace, et al.

Richardson said he'd have us out in a year from taking office. I believe Edwards has said roughly the same. But the fix seems to be in. The military-industrial-media complex is choosing our candidates.

The delegate count is somewhere around 25 apiece for Clinton & Obama. Edwards has 18 & you hardly hear a word about him on 24/7 cable news.

Chris Matthews talks about his latest man crush while people are dieing. I hope there's a hell.

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