US reneges on Iraq withdrawal promises

[joeblow]

US reneges on Iraq withdrawal promises
Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:48:24 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=9 ... id=3510203


A US soldier near the Crossed Swords monument, Green Zone, Baghdad

The United States retracts its initial promise of commitment to withdrawing its troops from Iraqi cities by the end of the month of June.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the US military in Iraq, Brigadier General Steve Lanza, said a number of the country's troops are to remain in the urban areas after the June 30 deadline, Reuters reported.

Earlier, the US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, had claimed that the military was 'absolutely committed' and had largely honored the US security agreement signed with Baghdad.

The security agreement envisages a withdrawal from the war-torn country.

Lanza cited "stability" concerns for maintaining some troop level in "Joint Security Stations" to train and advise Iraqi security forces.

The remaining contingents are to be 'extremely small", he claimed.

The US official added that "on 1 July we're not going to see this big black puff of smoke as everybody leaves the cities" based on the military's claim that it had managed to bring about a respite in al-Qaeda-linked attacks.

This is while Pentagon officials have been using "rises in violence" to prolong the US military presence in the oil-rich country.

Late last month, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said Washington was to maintain its combat troops in Iraq for another 10 years despite the agreement.

He cited global trends which were "pushing in the wrong direction" to explain potential "fundamental changes" in the Army.

The military's recurrent decision changes have put an end to Iraq's hopes of regaining its sovereignty and the complete US troop withdrawal which the US had vowed would take effect by 2011.

HN/HGH/AA

[hurensohn]

Is there anything the US diden't renege on? It would perhaps be mandatory injections of bioweapons called "free health care reform".