Not bringing them home

U.S. troops are going to be in Iraq for a long, long time.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 — The top American commander in the Middle East said the more than 140,000 soldiers now in Iraq are likely to be needed there at least until next spring because of continuing sectarian violence and the effort to secure Baghdad.

“I think that this level probably will have to be sustained through next spring, and then we’ll re-evaluate,” General John P. Abizaid told reporters at a breakfast roundtable.

American commanders have said previously that they expected current troop levels to be maintained through the end of the year unless security improved, but General Abizaid’s comment were the first indication that commanders believe reductions are unlikely until well into next year.

His comment were immediately seized upon by Democrats, who said they indicated that the administration’s strategy for stabilizing Iraq was not working

The surge in violence over the last six months, especially in Baghdad, has forced American commanders to increase troop levels by around 20,000 since last June and scrap plans made by General George W. Casey Jr., the senior American commander in Iraq, to reduce the number of combat brigades to 12 by this month.

“If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said that we would be down a couple of brigades from what we currently have,” General Abizaid said.

Wonder how bad it will get over the next Friedman.