Wire: In Iraq, the War's Name has Changed but the War Remains the Same

Off the Wire:

Operation Iraqi Freedom is now Operation New Dawn

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 -- Newswire services yesterday reported that even as President Barack Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, American soldiers were sealing off a northern village as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents.

The Associated Press noted that while the U.S. has reduced number of troops and the White House has re-branded the mission, the operation in Hawija was a reminder that U.S. forces are still engaged in hunting down and killing al-Qaida militants and may have to use lethal force to defend themselves against attacks.

That reality was front and center at a change-of-command ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces outside Baghdad that the American military now uses as its headquarters. Officials warned of a tough road ahead as the U.S. moves into the final phase of the 7 1/2-year war.

Of paramount concern is Iraqi leaders' continued bickering, six months after parliamentary elections, over forming a new government -- a political impasse that could further endanger stability and fuel a diminished but still dangerous insurgency.

"Iraq still faces a hostile enemy who is determined to hinder progress," Gen. Lloyd Austin, the newly installed commander of the just under 50,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, told the swelling crowd that was clad in military fatigues and political suits. "Make no mistake, our military forces here and those of the Iraqi nation remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed."

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The remaining U.S. forces in Iraq would be "as combat ready, if need be, as any in our military," Biden said, flanked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen for the 75-minute ceremony, which also changed the U.S. mission's name from "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to "Operation New Dawn."

AP said that three years ago, about 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq. Of those who remain, fewer than 10 percent -- or 4,500 -- are special forces who will regularly go on raids and capture terrorists, albeit alongside Iraqi troops.

(Report from newswire sources.)

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Wire: 21 US Servicemembers Killed in 48 Hours in Afghanistan

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 -- Newswire services this afternoon reported that 21 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in Afghanistan since Friday, updating earlier stories reporting that 19 U.S. servicemembers were killed in 72 hours there.

The UK Telegraph reported that a series of bomb attacks badly mauled U.S. troops in eastern and southern Afghanistan in the past 48 hours.

The death toll among in the NATO-led coalition has reached 484 this year and is predicted to far surpass 2009’s total of 521, the Telegraph said.

(Report from newswire sources.)

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Flashback, Dec. 2008: Bush Signs Iraq Security Pact, Sets Troop Withdrawal Deadlines

News in Balance:

EDITOR'S NOTE: As President Barack Obama prepares to claim the fulfillment of his campaign promise to bring the Iraq war to an end, it is important to recount the facts surrounding the story. In December 2008, President George W. Bush, at the request of the the Iraqi government, signed the Status of Forces agreement that set the troop withdrawal timeline to end the war.

Reprinted below is a news article discussing the details of the agreement.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2008 -- With fewer than 40 days left in office, President George W. Bush signed a security pact in Baghdad yesterday, putting an end in sight for the Iraq war after nearly six years of fighting.

“The war is not over yet,” Bush said, “[but] it is decisively on its way to being won.”

During a surprise farewell visit to Baghdad yesterday, Bush met with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a signing ceremony, affirming the two landmark agreements to withdraw U.S. troops and formalizing a long-term relationship between the two countries.

“[The agreements] cement a strategic partnership between our two countries, and they pave the way for American forces to return home as the war in Iraq approaches a successful end,” Bush said. “They represent a shared vision on the way forward in Iraq.”

Two years ago, such an agreement was unimaginable, Bush said. Violence and attacks in Iraq were rising, and sectarian lines were dividing much of the Iraqi people. Terrorism and fighting in many regions proved difficult to overcome. The Iraqi people have suffered greatly, he added.

“[The Iraqi people] suffered car bombings and suicide attacks and [improvised explosive devices], and desperate efforts by terrorists to destroy a young democracy,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have stepped forward to defend this democracy, and many have paid a dear price.”

Bush said the American people sacrificed a great deal for Iraq to reach this point too, as fighting there has required large amounts of time, resources and American lives. More than 4,000 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in Iraq since March 2003. More than 300 coalition troops also have been killed.

The agreements honor all those who have sacrificed by building a freer, safer and more hopeful world, Bush said.

“In terms of the agreements, this is a major achievement,” Bush told reporters. “Is it the end? Absolutely not. There is more work to be done.”

The strategic framework agreement provides the underpinning for a U.S.-Iraq trade and investment relationship as well as diplomatic, cultural and security cooperation. It sets the foundation for a long-term bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The status-of-forces agreement outlines the framework for American forces withdrawal while providing authorization and protections for U.S. troops to continue support operations after the United Nations mandate expires Dec. 31.

Although the pace of meeting those agreements depends on the Iraqi government and military, Bush said, the SOFA acknowledges that U.S. combat forces in Iraq are required to withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages and localities no later than June 30, and it calls for a complete withdrawal of forces by Dec. 31, 2011.

Both agreements were passed by Iraq’s parliamentary councils Nov. 27 and by the presidency council Dec. 4. Both take effect Jan. 1.

(Report by Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden, American Forces Press Service.)

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Wire: 19 US Servicemembers Killed in 72 Hours in Afghanistan

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 -- Newswire services this morning reported that five U.S. troops were killed in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday in fighting that has left 19 servicemembers dead since Saturday.

The Associated Press reported that in Tuesday's attacks, NATO said four troops were killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, while a fifth died in a battle with insurgents in the country's south. No other details were given.

The deaths bring this month's total to 55, including a Marine killed in fighting in the volatile southern province of Helmand on Friday whose death was not announced until Monday night. That is still fewer than the 66 killed in July, the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.

(Report from newswire sources.)

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