Obama to confirm plan for US troop withdrawal from Iraq

[SOURCE] BBC News

US President Barack Obama is to confirm the withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq by the end of August.

Some 50,000 of 65,000 US troops currently in Iraq are set to remain until the end of 2011 to advise Iraqi forces and protect US interests.

Mr Obama is to make the announcement in a speech to disabled veterans in Atlanta, Georgia.

Related Sources
Sky News - Video of Speech
Washington Times


So far as I can see the the coalitions continued presence in Iraq is varying degrees of pointless - we're killing people, so their friends and family then try to kill us... it's an endless cycle of violence and the only way to end it (in my opinion) is for us to leave and let them try to sort out the mess we've made. It appears the Obama Admin agrees, although apparently this was an agreement that Bush made with the Iraqi Government (see the Washington Times link).

Winding down combat troops is a good step towards that, although 50,000 troops on 'guard and advice' duty still seems ridiculously high to me. If they're saying less than a quarter of the troops are classed as combat troops, what are the rest of them doing?

Edited to add further sources.

[edit on 2-8-2010 by eightfold]

It sucks so bad that mainstream media is playing along by calling this a pullout.
60k troops staying there is called a pullout?

I am happy that many will leave, but it's not a pullout.

Some 50,000 of 65,000 US troops currently in Iraq are set to remain until the end of 2011 to advise Iraqi forces and protect US interests.

Imagine if China invaded the united states and kept 60k troops here to protect Chinese interests.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


Yup, it's ridiculous. Even more so when you take into account that the 2007 'surge' by Bush sent 30,000 combat troops - how removing 15,000 of them can be a 'complete withdrawal of combat troops' is beyond me.

Wikipedia: 2007 Troop Surge

To quote the Washington Times article on the subject...

SOURCE: Washington Times

As Mr. Obama's order for a 30,000 troop surge in Afghanistan remains controversial, the speech is an opportunity for him to shift attention to a country where the U.S. is ending its military mission by following through on the drawdown agreement that the Bush administration struck with the Iraqi government. Combat forces are set to leave by Aug. 31 and all troops are scheduled to withdraw by the end of 2011.

It appears 15,000 are leaving Iraq but 30,000 are off to Afghanistan. It's just a giant game of Middle East Musical Chairs, but with guns.