Source: Salon.com

The president promised early on to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. What changed?

By Justin Elliott

12 Sep 2011 — A debate is unfolding in official Washington about whether the Obama administration should leave any troops in Iraq, and, if so, how many. Negotiations are ongoing between the U.S and Iraqi governments on the issue, as a 2008 agreement requires that all American troops leave by the end of the year.

But largely missing from the discussion is the fact that if Obama leaves any troops in Iraq, he will be violating one of the first major promises of his presidency. In February 2009, just a month into his tenure, Obama delivered an Iraq speech at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, declaring:

“I intend to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. We will complete this transition to Iraqi responsibility, and we will bring our troops home with the honor that they have earned.”

Obama is now poised to break that promise. Administration and military officials have talked about leaving anywhere between 3,000 and 17,000 U.S. troops in the country. There are currently 45,000 troops still in Iraq, according to the AP.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/09/12/obama_iraq_promise

Note by the editor: As usual we do not hear or read about the issue of Private Security Contractors and their mercenaries. There are more Private Security Mercenaries in Iraq (contracted by the US) than there are ‘official’ US troups. US taxpayers should worry about it, as they cost money too… (and make some individuals VERY rich).