[Lt. Gen. William E. Odom (Ret.) is senior fellow at the Hudson Institute
and professor at Yale University. He was director of the National Security
Agency from 1985 to 1988.]
[In the end, the case for changing the secretary of defense seems to me to
be overwhelming.--Richard Holbrooke, "Behind the Military Revolt," Washington Post,
April 16, 2006]
[But the vast base being built up at Balad is also hard evidence that,
despite all the political debate in Washington about a quick U.S. pullout,
the Pentagon is planning to stay in Iraq for a long time - at least a decade
or so, according to military strategists. . . .
There is ample evidence elsewhere of America's long-term plans. The new $592
million U.S. Embassy being built at the heart of Baghdad's "international
zone" is "massive ... the largest embassy to date, . . .
the U.S. government has never drawn up plans for "permanent" military bases,
even when it ended up staying for half a century.--"Michael Hirsh, "Stuck in the Hot
Zone," Newsweek, May 1, 2006]
[TONY BLAIR has instructed his aides to draw up plans for British troops to
be withdrawn from Iraq and Northern Ireland by the autumn of next
year.--David Cracknell and Sarah Baxter, "'Peacemaker'
Blair Wants Troops Out of Iraq," Sunday Times, May 21, 2006]
[Iraq will allow the current United Nations mandate to remain in effect
beyond a deadline next Thursday for a review of Security Council Resolution
1637, which provides legal authority for the American-led military coalition
to continue its combat operations.--Tom Shanker, "Iraq
Decides It Still Needs U.S.-Led Military Presence," New York Times,
June 11, 2006]
Francis Harris, "US 'planning to keep 50,000
troops in Iraq for many years'," Telegraph, June 12, 2006
["I supported him in this," President Jalal Talabani said . . . The vice
president also complained about a number of covert prisons run by the
Shiite-led Interior Ministry "where many violations are committed,"
according to the statement from the president's office.--"Top
Sunni asked Bush for pullout timeline ," Associated Press, June 15,
2006]
Robin Toner, "House
Rejects Timetable for Withdrawal From Iraq," New York Times, June 17,
2006
[The cable, signed by the US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and sent to the
State Department in Washington on 6 June, is wholly at odds with the
optimistic account of developments given by President George Bush and Tony
Blair in their recent visits to Iraq.--Patrick Cockburn, "Leaked memo reveals plight of Iraqis," Independent, June 20, 2006]
William Blum, "Why
Bush's Iraq is Worse Than Saddam's," counterpunch.org, June 22, 2006
Geoffrey Wheatcroft, "Iraq is a
full-scale military balls-up. Our best move now is to cut and run,"
Guardian, June 23, 2006
[A timetable for withdrawal of occupation troops from Iraq. Amnesty for all
insurgents who attacked U.S. and Iraqi military targets. Release of all
security detainees from U.S. and Iraqi prisons. Compensation for victims of
coalition military operations.--Rod Nordland, "Maliki's Master
Plan," MSNBC.com, June 24, 2006]
Aaron Glantz, "Iraqis Call for Timetable, America Cracks Down," antiwar.com, July 13,
2006
[ . . . why donÕt you object to AmericaÕs rule over Iraq before objecting to
SyriaÕs interference in order to protect its security?--"Mashhadani on Americastan in Iraq," Al Hayat, August 8, 2006]