Occupation

Iraqis Want U.S. Special Ops to Stay

Military says it does not fully control borders.

As America prepares to vacate Iraq, many in the Iraqi military are expressing doubts over their readiness to lead without American support. The commander of the Iraq Special Operations Force, Maj. Gen. Fadhel al-Barwari, said, “The Americans need to stay because we don’t have control over our borders…There are many things we don’t have knowledge about.” If the Americans are to stay longer, the government of Iraq will have to formally request to change the security agreement to allow them to stay on. While many senior Iraqi military officials have told Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that some Americans should remain behind, Iraqi politicians seem unwilling to admit they still need help.