Petraeus: Maybe We Won’t Transition All Provinces To Iraqi Control in ‘08 After All
Jul 31, 202050.6K Shares1.6M Views
Remember back in December, when the Defense Dept. said all 18 Iraqi provinces would transfer over to Iraqi control in 2008? Because the surge was going so well? Is that still the plan? Levin asked.
“It is not,” Petraeus said. Some provinces still will — Anbar and Qadissiya might transition this summer — “though with others” it’s more likely the transition will occur in “the 2009 time frame.”
Well, why’s that, if there is in fact greater stability? Because back in late 2007, Pentagon analysts were figuring out the implications of MNF-I “still extending benefits” from the surge. Huh? “We’ll be doing assessments over the course of the year.”
Also the provincial elections probably won’t be held in October 2008, Petraeus said! “But there’s every expectation of having elections in the fall.” Good to know.
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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