InfoAnda - US tests military exit routes out of Iraq

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Yahoo! News Singapore | 10 March 2011
Student group plans to sue Facebook in Ireland | | 4 December 2012
Matt Damon fracking film in Berlin festival lineup | | 13 December 2012

Security tightened in New Zealand for "Bieber-mania" | 28 April 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : US tests military exit routes out of Iraq

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Search Search: US tests military exit routes out of Iraq By CHELSEA J. CARTER,Associated Press Writer AP - Sunday, February 22 BAGHDAD - The American military is shipping battlefield equipment through Jordan and Kuwait, testing possible exit routes in advance of a U.S. withdrawal in Iraq, military officials said. ADVERTISEMENT The convoys _ carrying armored vehicles, weapons and other items _ mark the Pentagon's first steps in confronting the complex logistics of transporting the huge arsenal stockpiled in Iraq over nearly six years. It's also part of a wider assessment, ordered by U.S. Central Command, to decide what items the military can transfer, donate, sell or toss away once a full-scale withdrawal is under way, Marine Corps and Army officials told The Associated Press. "Because they are starting to see a potential reduction of forces, they are looking to get more stuff out," Terry Moores, the deputy assistant chief of staff for logistics for Marine Corps Central Command, said Saturday. "We started slow," Moores said, but added "it's picked up speed" in recent months. The Iraqi-U.S. security pact, which took effect Jan. 1, calls for American troops to withdraw from Iraq's cities by June 30 and completely pull out troops by 2012 _ a timeline that could speed up if President Barack Obama keeps to a campaign promise to have troops out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office. In testimony before the U.S. House of Representative earlier this month, the independent Government Accountability Office said the Pentagon needed to redefine its withdrawal strategy, saying it did not take into account either the security pact deadline or Obama's possible accelerated timeframe. The biggest obstacle is the question of how to move tens of thousands of personnel and millions of tons of equipment out of Iraq, according to testimony by a GAO managing director. The U.S. brought most of its material in through Kuwait, one of the main staging grounds for the 2003 invasion. There are currently more than 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. "The capacity of facilities in Kuwait and other neighboring countries may limit the speed at which equipment and material can be moved out of Iraq," the GAO report said. It recommended looking at multiple routes through Jordan, Kuwait and Turkey, where the U.S. has already constructed bridge overpasses for heavy tanks on the road between the Iraqi border and the Mediterranean ports of Iskenderun and Mersin. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the Pentagon has already examined exit routes through Turkey and Jordan. Both countries, longtime U.S. allies, support the withdrawal planning contingencies, said Mullen. The Marines have made 17 shipments of vehicles and weapons _ totaling 20,000 items _ through Jordan's Aqaba port, using contractors to haul the items to either commercial container ships or U.S. Navy ships, Moores said in a telephone interview from Bahrain, the base of the U.S. 5th Fleet. "Jordan and Kuwait offer a great mix of routes and great infrastructure to get our stuff out," he said. The shipments through Jordan also has given the leaders in Amman an "understanding about what it takes to move equipment and personnel," he said. "They have already said that if we are willing to move more through Jordan as we draw down, they are willing" to allow it, Moores said. Though Jordan has close ties to Washington, popular sentiment has been solidly against the war in Iraq. The route to Jordan would take the military through the desert province of Anbar, which was the hub of the Sunni insurgency and where Marines and Iraqi soldiers fought some of their bloodiest battles. An uprising by local Sunni tribes in late 2006 forced insurgents from their Anbar strongholds in one of the pivotal moments of the war. Meanwhile, the Army has shipped hundreds of armored and non-armored vehicles to Kuwait, said Army. Col. Ed Dorman, who works on logistics and supply for Multi-National Corps Iraq. "We're already reducing what we have on hand," he said, adding that the equipment has been returned to bases in Kuwait or the United States. Much of the Army equipment being moved is material no longer used, such as older mine-resistant vehicles _ known as MRAPs _ that can be used for training. Even if the United States sticks to the longer-range withdrawal plans, it still has less than three years to determine how to get its forces and equipment out of Iraq. "You don't take everything out," Moores said, adding that some items, such as food, water, barricades and sandbags may be left. Moores said the Corps has been working on a withdrawal plan with a 2010 deadline in mind for the Marines, which has been preparing to expand its presence in Afghanistan. "If our focus is correct and our thought process is correct, we are well on our way with our planning," he said. "It won't be a mass exodus. It will be a gradual withdrawal." Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: World Today in History - Feb. 22AP - 2 hours 44 minutes ago Bush goes to hardware store that offered him a jobAP - Sunday, February 22 Political prisoners among 6,000 freed in MyanmarReuters - Sunday, February 22 Governors debate whether to accept stimulus fundsAP - Sunday, February 22 Chavez sees Fidel twice in surprise Cuba tripAP - Sunday, February 22 Most Popular – World Viewed Huge gamma-ray blast spotted in space Seductive chemicals hidden in sloppy kisses US moves to dispel bank nationalization rumors Malaria: Spoonful of sugar could save thousands of children Bank fears drag down world markets View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Sunday, 22 February 2009
North Korea accuses U.S. of war-mongering | International |
Pakistani Taliban say Swat ceasefire to be reviewed | International |
U.S. forces kill 13 Afghan civilians in air strike | International |
Tens of thousands march against cutbacks in Ireland | International |
Rwandan troops start preparations to leave Congo | International |
Sri Lanka rebels say suicide air raids successful | International |
Egypt says to host Palestinian talks on Feburary 25 | International |
Russian protestors demand elections as crisis bites | International |
NOW New York President Slams Media Over Coverage Of Muslim Man's Beheading Of His Wife
Yahoo may reveal management revamp next week: report | Technology |
PA Police Charge 11-Year-Old Boy In Shooting Death Of Pregnant Woman
National Satellite Mistakenly Shows California-Sized Ice Mass Disappear
NOW New York President Slams Media Over Coverage Of Muslim Man's Beheading Of His Wife
2 rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel
Blast in China coal mine kills 44, dozens trapped | International |
US tests military exit routes out of Iraq
Australia mourns victims of bushfire disaster | International |
Egypt says to host Palestinian talks on Feburary 25
Chavez and Castros hold talks in Havana | International |
Iran blocks Web sites promoting reformist Khatami
BofA rules out nationalization and fresh aid: report
Clinton ends China visit with church, Web chat | International |
Sudan to release 24 Darfur prisoners
Obama hails 'quickest and broadest' tax cut
Barroso calls for curb on bankers' bonuses: report
ASEAN finmins agree outline deal on forex swaps | International |
German FM urges international aid for Opel
Political prisoners among 6,000 freed in Myanmar | International |
Europe aims to restore G20 reform momentum | International |
US, China pledge joint effort on economy, climate change
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,247
Hillary Clinton: diplomat, politician or advice columnist?
Obama draws fire for 'terror' detainee moves
Yahoo may reveal revamping next week: report | Technology |
Ecuador says expelled diplomat was 'CIA chief'
Analysis: Obama faces split opinion on Iraq future
UN Workers Give Hamas-Written Letter To Kerry To Deliver To Obama
Clinton presides over State Department 2.0
U.S. police plan arrest in Chandra Levy murder
US-TECH Summary
Russian protestors call on Putin to resign
Italian left elects Franceschini to succeed Veltroni
Worst of Guadeloupe's crisis over: French president
Twelve dead as Slovak train hits coach
Oscars set to shake up their act | Entertainment |
The Wrestler wins big at Spirit Awards | Entertainment |
Myers loses his mojo with Love Guru Razzie | Entertainment |
Japan snowstorm disrupts flights, damages houses
Clinton urges China's continued investment in US
Actors union rejects studio contract offer | Entertainment |
Three killed in Thai south: police
NKorea rejects UN envoy's trip: report
'Love Guru', Paris Hilton are top of the flops
Crisis brings threat of crime wave to China
Bird flu virus found again in Nepal
US Screen Actors Guild rejects studio contract offer
Political prisoners part of Myanmar's release
Taiwan leader calls for free trade pact with China
Australia holds national mourning day after fires
Hong Kong telecom workers protest forced leave
Australia will rise from 'ashes of despair': PM
Thai PM denounces protectionist policies
44 dead, dozens trapped in Chinese mine
Clinton urges China to keep buying US Treasuries
Oscar Countdown: Driver, step on the battery
S.Korea may use FX reserves to defend won-Yonhap
Full steam ahead for California bullet train
South Korean data shows trade surplus for Feb 1-20
Labour of love to save Nepal's royal statues
India's gold rush with a difference
Hilton, Myers top Razzies bill for year's worst
Japan bears brunt of global economic crisis
Myers loses his mojo with "Love Guru" Razzie
Vietnam inaugurates first oil refinery
Oscar is in the house: Trophies come to the Kodak
Satyam seeking new investors, auditor after fraud
Oscars secrets revealed! Well, some were, anyway
`Wrestler' wins top indie honors at Spirit Awards
Austerity and irreverance at London Fashion Week
Placing bling is a competitive thing at the Oscars
Sumatran tiger kills 2 loggers in west Indonesia
Moscow defends actions in cargo ship incident
Iraqi lawmaker accused in parliament suicide blast
MP accused in Iraq parliament suicide bombing
Pakistan to allay U.S. fears on pact with Islamists | International |
Oscar's 'Waltz with Bashir' Breaks Barriers In Arab World
Iran conducts tests at Bushehr plant this week
U.S. and Iraq launch new bid to eradicate al Qaeda | International |
Iran to begin operation of 1st nuclear power plant
Terminally ill British TV star marries as cameras roll
Netanyahu says can work with Obama for peace | International |
Sudan's Beshir in Egypt for Darfur talks
Clinton wraps up four-nation Asia tour
Iran conducts tests at Bushehr plant this week | International |
'Bibi' bids for broad Israeli coalition
Congo, Somalia conflicts make 350,000 new refugees | International |
Greece says pirates seize cargo ship off Somalia | International |
Zimbabwe PM Tsvangirai calls for reconciliation | International |
Top Afghan diplomat heads to US for war-review talks
NAACP Calls For Resignation Of NY Post Cartoonist, Editor
Massachusetts Drivers Would Pay Nation's Highest Gas Taxes Under Governor's Plan
Europe economies 'agree need for more regulation'
Pakistan militants mull permanent ceasefire
SKorean serial killer faces family murder charge
Sri Lanka kamikaze attack targeted air force
74 miners die, 114 injured in China mine blast
Clinton ends China visit with church and Web chat
Hollywood actors reject contract offer
Asian FMs agree to boost emergency fund by half
Actors union rejects studio contract offer
Blast in China coal mine kills 74
Vietnam to open first oil refinery
SAG rejects 'final offer' from producers
Taliban hold Pakistan official despite peace talks
Asian ministers: uphold free markets in downturn
73 miners die, 113 injured in China mine blast
Asia diplomats expand crisis fund to $120bln
Asian finance ministers meet on economic crisis
Clinton urges China to keep buying Treasury bonds
YSL art sale may restore market confidence
EU firm on ASEAN food standards: official
Dying TV star Jade Goody's marriage grips Britain
S.Korea expects $2.5 bln trade surplus in Feb
Dying star's TV marriage grips Britain
'Slumdog Millionaire' closing in on Oscars glory
French chef's dream: turn pork-gobbling Czechs into eco-gourmets
"The Wrestler" wins big at Spirit Awards
Hollywood actors reject contract offer
Actors union rejects studio contract offer
Endangered tiger kills 2 loggers in west Indonesia
SAG rejects 'final offer' from producers
'Love Guru', Paris Hilton are top of the flops
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01