Despite Difficult Talks, U.S. And Iraq Had Expected Some American Troops To Stay -- New York Times
BAGHDAD — President Obama’s announcement on Friday that all American troops would leave Iraq by the end of the year was an occasion for celebration for many, but some top American military officials were dismayed by the announcement, seeing it as the president’s putting the best face on a breakdown in tortured negotiations with the Iraqis.
And for the negotiators who labored all year to avoid that outcome, it represented the triumph of politics over the reality of Iraq’s fragile security’s requiring some troops to stay, a fact everyone had assumed would prevail. But officials also held out hope that after the withdrawal, the two countries could restart negotiations more productively, as two sovereign nations.
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My Comment: In the past year US forces have been playing a vital supporting role in assisting the Iraq army in anti-terrorism operations, training, and .... more importantly .... giving the Iraq government numerous security options by playing a subservient role to Baghdad. With US forces now leaving, the Iraq government has now lost one of it's options in confronting extremists or those who favor closer ties with radical countries like Iran. This vacuum is going to be filled by someone else, and who that someone else may be is a concern that everyone is now looking at.
Ed Morrisey has a good analysis on these failed negotiations, and what may happen next year. Fareed Zakaria believes that the eventual winner will be Iran.
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