The 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne is coming home from Iraq (ed: Iraq? Where’s that?) six weeks early:
Washington will accelerate its plans to reduce the number of combat troops in Iraq by bringing a brigade home this month, six weeks earlier than anticipated, the U.S. military said on Thursday…
‘Due to the continued improving security environment … the unit is able to redeploy six weeks early,’ said military spokesman Colonel Bill Buckner.
Which might just be a good thing for the doggies of 2/101st. Since the Iraqi government apparently believes it will be able to strike a more favorable status of forces agreement with the new administration:
It is necessary to immediately send a senior Iraqi delegation to negotiate with Obama’s team over their positions and to propose accepted solutions for the both sides, especially, regarding the legal situation of the American troops. Iraq’s prime minister has succeeded in postponing the signing of a security agreement until after the American election which will open the door for Iraq to achieve its goals…
As the situation in Iraq continues to normalize, it will of course make sense for the Iraqi government to seek more normal relations with coalition forces, including the right to negotiate such things as the arrest, incarceration and trial of American soldiers accused by one or another faction of criminal acts.
What would be “interesting” is any action by a new administration that would seek to negotiate the status of its soldiers in any interest but their own.
Greetings:
Ain’t it just like a squid to call infantymen “doggies.”
Squids belong on ships and ships belong at sea.
Gosh, maybe the turtle will engage Wm Ayers to head the SOFA delegation – he’s a warrior in a sense, after all…
Yippee! My SIL is in the 101st! (Still can’t figure out Army units — Navy’s much easier, mo’ better, too). Some time this month he’s due home, I understand.
I’m just glad it wasn’t the full 15 months they were expecting, especially when he left their little girl was just three weeks old. She’s a busy 13-month-old toddler tearing up the house now and NEEDS her DADDY home NOW! So does the mommy!
Hooray for the end of a deployment!
P3W-
Here’s to a safe and happy return of your son in law and on a job well done.
Quin
P3W,
Roger that.
11B40, I have no problem with referring to myself as a Doggie…in the way back I was and proudly still am one…after all actual Dogs are Gods angels on earth…it dosen’t get better than that …Best
PS, P3W, I also Roger/second AW1Tim on your SILs home comming.
Terrific news for y’all, P3W! Thank him for us, please, and a ‘well done’ to the whole family.
God forbid that we ever give Iraq the right to try our men/women under their laws under the SOFA when they commit crimes while off duty. When are our forces ever off duty?
I guess I’m dumber than the average bear, but what’s the problem of establishing a SOFA with Iraq? We operate under SOFAs with all our allies, don’t we? I know back in my pre doggie squid days (sorry 11B40 & Snake, I just couldn’t resist…) we knew that Japanese police could pick us up when we got out of line just like the SP’s could.
Off topic.
I saw this vid on youtube and for some reason I thought of you. Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BzU1sYPjzo
Pogue, we have no SOFAs with any Islamic nation (the last was Iran, and signing it was a catalyst that helped bring Khomeini to pre-eminence in opposition to the Shah). This is largely because we are filthy kuffar, and to legally bind an islamic nation to a kuffar nation, especially regarding kuffar troops on Islamic soil, is haram–not approved by Allah almighty. To the extent that Shi’a Iraq plays along with this game it is doing little more than wringing concessions and delays out of the USA, who is otherwise busy suppressing their Sunni enemies in the rest of Iraq for them.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 11/07/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.