10/21/11

US begins total troop pull-out from Iraq

Mission not accomplished: President Obama has announced that all US troops will be pulled out of Iraq by the Holidays.  Political expediency going into an election year appears to be the main motivation for a total pull-out: US military officials  reportedly wanted to leave a force of 5,000 as trainers and to help deter Iran from interfering in the country. The stumbling block is said to have been refusal by Iraq to give US soldiers immunity from prosecution under Iraqi laws.
Given the extreme likelihood  of covert or overt incursions from Iran, and Iraq's need for continued US funding and  military hardware, it's hard to believe more pressure couldn't  have overcome this. But our leader is not exactly famed for tough negotiating.  ABC News has details