The "300" in Iraq

"'There will be a U.S. military presence. The Office of Security Cooperation (OSC), operating under the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, will have several hundred military personnel, and at least an equal number or more U.S. contractors, who will work with Iraqi security forces. Ongoing negotiations with Iraq about OSC activities will determine exact staffing numbers."  Pincus

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The "300." that is what they are calling the several hundred active duty military people who will be left in Iraq.  There will be the dozen or so in the Defense Attache Office of the embassy, the US Marine security guard for the embassy, just a handfull of marines.  The largest number wil be in the security assistance office (whatever they call it).  This office will be subordinate to the theater (COCOM) commnder at USCENTCOM.  They will train Iraqis and will be altogether dependent on the Iraqis for their security.  "Stranger passing by..."  The civilians in the mission will be in the same position.

This is remarkably like the situation we left behind in VN in the spring of 1973.  The terms of the armistice in VN in '72 allowed the US to keep similar numbers in country attached to the embassy.  If memory serves there were about 2,000.  They continued training and advising the South Vietnamese forces.  The North Vietnamese Army sat out in the woods hear the Cambodian and Laotian borders.  This situation persisted for about two years until the US Congress forbade any further aid for the South Vietnamese, ever.  The North Vietnamese then attacked and captured all the major towns within a few weeks.

The Pacific Ocean was nearby in 1975.  A Non-Combatant Evacuation operation was possible.  As I have said before it is a long way to the sea from central Iraq.

Good luck to them all.  pl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/usmilitary-presence-will-continue-in-iraq/2011/11/18/gIQAJAWBjN_story.html

Comments

[Cato the Censor]

The "300" in Iraq

"Stranger, go tell the Spartans that we lie here
Obedient to their laws."

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

It is really “The 30,000”; the number of contractors left in Iraq next year.

DOD, corporate media and the 0.1% are totally intertwined, spinning lies to the hoi polloi. Jenna Bush and Chelsea Clinton work for NBC News; Comcast gives a helping hand to presidential offspring. No wonder FCC approved of the vertical consolidation of the media against the public interest.

Contractors are the modern ghost soldiers. Never seen or read about. Mercenaries defending the Empire isn’t a good sound bite. More than a 1,000 have been killed and 12,000 wounded or injured in the last decade. Contractors don’t have to worry about Mitt Romney’s voucher system for Vet’s Care. They get no VA treatment at all.

Last night, NBC News had their daily “Feel Good America” segment about dogs repatriated from Afghanistan. It wanted to make me puke.

[turcopolier]

vv

I think that you are exagerating. most contracters will be involved in logistical work. state is going t ohave a couple thousand civilian security guards. That doesn't add up to a continuing military presence that is significant. pl

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

You are correct. Having done my fair share of loading resupply flights, I still feel that logistics is one of the functions of an Army; notwithstanding, the 21st century privatized US Army.

[The beaver]

VV

Remember that some contracting companies are hiring foreign contractors from developing countries as security guards in Iraq- no jobs at home and they can speak english -so off you go to Iraq. Uganda is one of those countries

[William R. Cumming]

I wonder if the NEO plan will be in place before the end of the year?

Have dependents ever been authorized in Iraq by DoD? By the State Department or AID?

[Fred]

Except America isn't in danger of being invaded by Xerxes nor his Persian decendants. Iraq is already under thier sphere of influence.

[jonst]

Give em time V V....they will outsourcing people to masturbate the recruits. There is no natural defensive position to fall back to, and hold, in this battle with neoliberalism. Given that profits can come from anywhere and anything.