Big Fat Story
With Operation Iraqi Freedom completed, the military transferred command of the remaining U.S. forces to General Lloyd Austin this week. Austin is no stranger to the region—he earned a Silver Star leading forces into battle during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. "His style is flak vest, Kevlar and a ton of ammunition, and he's a big, strapping guy and can carry it," one retired general said of Austin's gritty approach to war. Austin made clear at a ceremony handing him control of the 50,000 U.S. troops left in Iraq that he was prepared to face down “hostile forces” before the American withdrawal was complete. "Although challenges remain, we will face these challenges together," Austin said.
Photo: Jim Watson / AP Photo
America has new leadership at its Iraqi embassy to go along with its new mission. James Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat in the region, was sworn in last month as ambassador to Iraq, succeeding President Bush's ambassador, Chris Hill. Jeffrey, who held diplomatic posts in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, was most recently ambassador to Turkey. He’ll have his hands full from the start in smoothing Iraq’s transition from occupied country to stable ally as negotiations to form a new Iraqi government are still deadlocked months after March elections.
Photo: Heesoon Yim / AP Photo
Though militant groups like al Qaeda in Iraq have little popular support, and the Mahdi Army has been disbanded, preventing political instability will be a key mission of the Americans left in Iraq. The U.S. will push Iraqi leaders to integrate the Sons of Iraq into the government, include more Sunnis in governing coalitions, and prevent the Iraqi security forces from engaging in sectarian violence. Iraq’s long-term stability is threatened by disputes between Baghdad and the Kurds in the north, who want a bigger share of oil revenue and more autonomy. The U.S. will continue to try to build up the Iraqi security forces, with training on new weapons and joint military exercises.
Photo: Alaa al-Marjani / AP Photo
Who's Left in Iraq?
With combat operations over in Iraq, the American presence there is less boots, more suits. The Daily Beast looks at the key U.S. players left in country—and the jobs they face.
The exit of a substantial chunk of U.S. military forces from Iraq will place new burdens on private contractors still in country—especially if hostilities persist. These contractors could be forced to disarm explosives, fly rescue missions, and perform other functions traditionally handled by the military. According to Kori Schake, who advised John McCain on foreign policy during his presidential campaign, the transition to civilian control seriously risks the fragile gains made by the military in the past three years. The massive hiring of new private security contractors is a recipe for disaster, as they face little oversight. Experts are also concerned about their training should they end up in the thick of combat.
Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP Photo
With the combat mission over, the State Department is assuming a huge new role in leading the American presence in Iraq. It will take over training Iraqi police and manage confrontations between the Kurdish pesh merga and the Iraqi army. But the State Dept. won’t be able to count on the American military for 100 percent of its security, even as it faces lawmakers in Congress skeptical of increasing its funding. The number of private security contractors will be doubled, to 7,000; the department has asked the Pentagon to leave behind 25 Blackhawk helicopters and 50 MRAPs, a heavily armored vehicle that resists roadside bombs. It’s unclear how much the department will expand staff in the Baghdad embassy, which already has 835 people on staff and is the largest American diplomatic site in the world.
Photo: Karim Kadim / AP Photo
The remaining military presence will still focus on counterterrorism.
President Obama declared combat operations are over in Iraq, but that doesn’t mean American troops won’t be involved in combat in the months ahead. The 50,000 soldiers left in Iraq will be focused on counterterrorism, and thousands of Special Operations forces will work with Iraqis to hunt down militants like al Qaeda.
Photo: Nabil Juranee / AP Photo
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