US seeks to keep 1000s of troops in Iraq

Despite repeated calls by Iraqis for a complete US military withdrawal from Iraq, the White House has again expressed the desir to maintain thousands of troops in the war-weary country.

The White House seeks to keep between 8,500 and 10,000 active-duty soldiers in Iraq in 2012, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, quoting senior US administration and military officials.

However, any extension of the US troop presence does evidently depend on a Iraqi request, which has not been filed so far and is not expected to be even decided upon until September at the earliest.

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Jay Carney again claimed on Tuesday that the US is still considering a withdrawal of all US troops by the end of the year unless the Iraqi government asks them to stay.

“We have said for a long time now if the Iraqi government asks us to maintain some level of troops beyond that end of the year deadline, we would consider it,” Carney told reporters in Washington.

However, US Senate majority leader has said an extension of US military presence beyond 2011 is no longer necessary and it is time for American forces to return home.

“There is no question that the United States must continue to provide support for the Iraqis as they progress, but now is the time for our military mission to come to a close,” said Harry Reid.

Reid estimated that nearly $1 trillion has been spent in Iraq since the US invaded the country in 2003, including $50 billion allegedly spent this year.

Speaking to Press TV concerning a demand for the American security in Iraq, Iraqi Science and Technology Minister Abdul Karim al-Samarrai said recently that “Iraqi people have expressed doubts about US intentions in Iraq.”

US President Barack Obama will face difficult political confrontations if his administration makes any change in US military withdrawal timetable in Iraq.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretext of destroying alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) belonging to former dictator Saddam Hussein.

However, it was later found that the country did not possess any WMDs at the time and that the US and Britain, which led the invasion, were well-aware about the non-existence of such weapons in Iraq, but took military action against the oil-rich nation anyway.

Over one million Iraqis have been killed as a result of the occupation, according to a study by the prestigious British polling group, Opinion Research Business (ORB).