State Dept Wants Own ‘Combat Force’ for Iraq

State Dept Wants Own ‘Combat Force’ for Iraq
Officials Aim to 'Duplicate' Military Force After Dec. 2011

Jason Ditz

June 15, 2010 Tenuous though it may be, the Obama Administration maintains that it still intends to complete the Iraq military pullout by the end of December 2011. Even that won’t be the end of combat operations, however. Now the US State Department is looking to get into the war fighting business in its own right, saying it needs its own combat force to meet the "extreme security challenges in Iraq." Not only is the State Department looking for a combat force, they insist they need to "duplicate the capabilities of the US military," seeking to acquire 24 Black Hawk helicopters, and a number of other combat vehicles. The State Department says the creation of the new force is necessary for a "smooth transition," but it leaves open the question: transition from what to what? For over seven years now, the US Defense Department has dominated Iraq, and with its time presumably coming to an end, will Iraqis simply stand by and watch as the US State Department takes its place? Link: news.antiwar.com/2010/06/14/state-dept-wants-own-combat-force-for-iraq/