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Feb27
Iraqui’s in fear of a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops
Filed under: Obama, Politics, U.S.; Tagged as: americans, arab, army, barack obama, breaking news, iran, iraq, islamic, Military, muslim, Politics, president barack obama, soldiers, terrorists, washington, white houseBAGHDAD – With President Barack Obama set to announce the withdrawal of most U.S. forces from Iraq over the next 18 months, some Iraqis say they fear that such a move could lead to a resurgence of violence.”Terrorists are just waiting for the Americans to leave the country in order to turn things upside down,” said Ibrahim Salman, 55, a Baghdad municipality official.
U.S. soldiers take up position to secure the opening of a water treatment plant in Baghdad's Sadr City on Jan. 21, 2009.
Salman, who lost relatives and friends during the sectarian violence that raged across Iraq during 2005 and 2006, said armed groups could take advantage of the American military pullout to terrorize the country once again.”I am against a hasty evacuation of U.S. troops from Iraq because security is not completely achieved throughout Iraq,” Salman said. “The Iraqi police force and army still need more training, experience, intelligence gathering and sophisticated military equipment.”
Obama’s plan reportedly accounts for further training for Iraqi forces. According to senior administration officials, U.S. Troops will withdrawal slowly over the next 18 months– dropping from the current number of about 142,000 to a residual force of 50,000 that will carry out clean-up and protection operations. These troops also will work closely with the Iraqi military, which is expected to take over all daily combat missions by August 2010, NBC News reports.
‘Responsible and gradual’
Diana Obaedi, a 24-year-old private secretary, said she supported the idea of a “responsible and gradual withdrawal” of American troops. But as someone whose family was displaced by armed groups, she also was concerned that Iraq must be “stable and secure” before the Americans leave.A barber in his late forties, Sa’ad Yassin, echoed this sentiment.
“Of course, nobody likes his country to be occupied, but I want joint Iraqi and American forces to get rid of the terrorists, criminals, gangs and sleeper cells who are waiting to jump and control the land and people,” Yassin said.
Adel Abdul-Jabbar, a technician in Baghdad, fears there will be a bloodbath after U.S. forces leave.
“Pulling their forces and leaving Iraq to be devoured by Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey? Oh! No!” he said. “No, I am sure al-Qaida and militias will destroy Iraq and Iraqis will be swimming in blood pools.”
‘History repeats itself’
Others expressed disbelief. Abu Ahmed, a retiree, laughed at the notion that the American forces will ever leave Iraq.“They say ‘history repeats itself,’ I won’t believe the American administration is going to pull its forces out of Iraq. They will stay for decades just like they did in Germany and Japan,” he said.
Still, Amer Qabani, a 33-year-old oil-driller, was optimistic about his country’s future and thinks that Obama is a man of his word.
“He promised in his presidential campaign to responsibly withdraw his troops from Iraq,” said Qabani. “I guess we will have to wait and see. I think Iraqi forces will be ready.”
No CommentsFeb23Taliban says cease-fire in 2nd Pakistan region
Filed under: Politics, U.S., World; Tagged as: afghanistan, arab, barack obama, breaking news, government, muslim, pakistan, peace, Politics, president barack obama, taliban, terrorists, united states, washingtonAnalysts say militants in Bajur have been losing ground in recent months
A crowd of supporters gather around pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad as he arrives in Mingora to negotiate with the Taliban in the battle-scarred Swat Valley , Pakistan on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. Sufi Muhammad arrived in a caravan of some 300 vehicles in Swat's main city of Mingora Tuesday a day after he struck the truce, which a U.S. defense official called "negative."
KHAR, Pakistan – A Taliban commander announced a unilateral cease-fire Monday in a northwestern Pakistan region where the military says it has killed around 1,500 militants in an ongoing offensive.
The military was not available for comment on the Taliban’s move in Bajur region, which lies next to Afghanistan.
The announcement follows the introduction of an already week-old cease-fire between the government and militants in the Swat Valley, another northwestern region, in support of a peace process there.
The United States and other Western governments have criticized the Swat truce and negotiations, saying they could create a safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban in the region.
Unlike in Swat, the Taliban in Bajur had been losing ground in recent months, most analysts say.
Their commander, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, announced the cease-fire, in an FM radio broadcast.
“We have decided to observe a cease-fire,” he said. “I direct all of my fighters to stop armed actions against the government,” he said. “We will take strict action against anyone who violates the order.”
A government administrator in tribally ruled Bajur said authorities were aware of the announcement.
“We do welcome it. If they will not fire bullets, we will also consider taking a lenient view toward them,” Faramosh Khan said.
Village militias
The military began its offensive against militants in Bajur in September last year and claims to have killed around 1,500 Taliban fighters. The United States has praised the offensive.Pakistan is under intense international pressure to crack down on al-Qaida and Taliban militants in the northwest blamed for increasing attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. U.S. officials also fear the region is being used to plan terrorist attacks on the West.
On Sunday, regional authorities said they planned to arm villagers with 30,000 rifles to help fight militants, but it was unclear if the announcement had the backing of national leaders or the country’s powerful army.
Village militias backed by the United States have been credited with reducing violence in Iraq. Washington is paying for a similar initiative in Afghanistan.
No CommentsFeb17Fewer F-22’s needed, says Air Force
Filed under: Military, technology; Tagged as: afghanistan, air force, boeing, breaking news, congress, government, iraq, jets, Military, Money, pentagon, Politics, terrorists, united states, washingtonNo Comments
The U.S. Air Force is scaling back its request for its most advanced and costly fighter jets, as the service seeks to shift its emphasis from waging large-scale wars to combating insurgencies in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.The move reflects Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s efforts to reorient the military toward the smaller, drawn-out conflicts that the armed forces expect to be fighting in the future.
Congress has mandated that the Obama administration decide by March 1 whether to increase its order of F-22 Raptors beyond the planned purchase of 183 planes. Lockheed Martin Corp. and its supporters say tens of thousands of jobs will be lost if the government doesn’t order more copies of the $143 million fighter. Boeing Co. is a major subcontractor on the program.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Tuesday that the target will be “less than 381″ jets, which Air Force officials stubbornly clung to in recent years despite opposition from Mr. Gates. Air Force officials recently told lawmakers that they would like an additional 60 or so F-22s, for a total of between 240 and 250 new airplanes.
“I think it’s a sign of a healthy institution that we’re willing to revisit long-held beliefs, no matter how central to our ethos they may be,” said Gen. Schwartz.
For a service long led by fighter pilots, Gen. Schwartz is going against the grain. He is clearly heeding Mr. Gates’s priorities of closely supporting ground operations and fighting insurgents. Still, it is unclear whether Mr. Gates will agree to put any more F-22s beyond the 183 already planned, into the 2010 Pentagon budget, expected this spring. He has criticized the plane’s lack of relevance to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recently told Congress the Pentagon is placing a priority on cheaper and less-complicated weapons systems.
The decision on the F-22 is expected to be the first big weapons-buying test of the Obama administration. At issue will be how the president weighs the likelihood of layoffs in the flagging economy against a ballooning federal deficit.
The F-22 is widely regarded as the world’s most advanced fighter.
Lockheed is pulling out all the stops for the F-22. Along with advertisements in Washington-area publications, a Web site (www.preserveraptorjobs.com) enables users to send a form letter to President Obama reading, “Shutting down the F-22 program would have drastic consequences for our economy and national security.”
Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Sen. Patty Murray wrote to then-President-elect Obama on Jan. 17 that buying only 183 F-22s is “insufficient to meet potential threats.” They also appealed to protect the 25,000 jobs directly tied to the program and an additional 70,000 jobs indirectly supported by the plane.
Lockheed says problem-free F-22s are coming off of its Marietta, Ga., production line and the plane represents a known quantity, with one F-22 capable of replacing two older F-15 fighters. “We’re trying to make the point that this isn’t a decision you get back,” said Lockheed’s Larry Lawson, general manager of the F-22 program.