By Kevin Zeese
In the week since the much
publicized withdrawal of "combat" troops from Iraq it has
become more evident that the Iraq War continues under a new name:
"Operation New Dawn."
The first off-message comments came from the
Department of Defense. Pentagon press secretary Geoff
Morrell said shortly after the
"end" of the war, "I don't think anybody has declared the end of
the war as far as I know. Counter-terrorism will still be part of their
mission." He said the more than 50,000 remaining troops will be well armed
and that among their responsibilities will be counter-terrorism which will mean
taking on Islamist militants in combat situations. The former head of the
Central Command who had been in charge of military operations in Iraq echoed
the Pentagon sentiments when Petraeus told CBS News, "We're not leaving" Iraq and that the troops
remaining behind will have "an enormous capability."
To make matters worse, General Ray Odierno said it was possible that U.S. combat troops would return to Iraq if the security situation worsened. Odierno also said that he was certain the U.S. would consider staying in Iraq after 2011 if invited. There is more talk of the U.S. staying beyond the 2011 deadline for withdrawal of all troops. Iraq's top military officer said last week that American forces may be needed for another decade, something to which Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the U.S. is open.
Army Times
reported that combat brigades remain in Iraq but their name has been
changed to "Advise and Assist Brigade, the Army's designation for
brigades selected to conduct security force assistance." There are seven Advise and Assist Brigades in
Iraq, as well as two
additional National Guard infantry brigades "for security" and two combat
aviation brigades also remain in Iraq. Combat Brigades are the source for the Advise
and Assist Brigades "to retain their inherent capability to conduct offensive
and defensive operations, according to the Army's security force assistance
field manual, which came out in May 2009."
As the Washington Post
reports combat is still on the agenda for America's
no longer labeled combat troops: "American troops in Iraq will still go into harm's way.
They will still accompany Iraqi units on combat missions -- even if only as
"advisers." American pilots will still fly combat missions in support
of Iraqi ground forces. And American special forces will still face off against
Iraqi terrorist groups in high-intensity operations. For that reason, when
American troops leave their bases in Iraq, they will still, almost
invariably, be in full "battle rattle" and ready for a fight."
And sadly, the war's "end" does not mean an
end to deaths of U.S.
soldiers in Iraq.
An American soldier was killed in a rocket attack in southern Iraq
on Sunday, the U.S. military
said, marking the first American fatality since the last "combat"
unit in Iraq
was pulled out of the country. The military did not provide a lot of
information on what the soldier was doing but said he was conducting operations
in Iraq's southern province of Basra.
It also does not mean an end to
deployments of new troops to Iraq.
Five peace activists blockaded six
buses carrying Fort Hood Soldiers
deploying to Iraq.
The buses were slowed to a halt; while police made no arrests, they forced the
activists out of the street using automatic weapons and police dogs so the
deploying soldiers could proceed.
In addition to soldiers remaining in Iraq, the
country remains in miserable condition. Foreign Policy in Focus reports: "Iraq
has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant
disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of
innocent people has become part of daily life." They also report that half
the urban residents in Iraq
live in slums, up from 20% before the U.S. invasion.
But the deception continues. President Obama is planning a speech on Iraq when he returns from summer vacation. Reportedly the
speech will highlight Obama keeping his promise to end the war. In fact, keeping troops in Iraq was always
part of Obama's plan. During the
campaign he called them "residual" troops and would never say how many tens of
thousands would remain after he "ended the war."
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