CNN

Marcus is absoulty correct in his assesment in that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The democrats should go after Bush for war crimes and raping the constitution with the same amount of enthusiasm as the republicans went after Clinton for getting a ............ well you know what I'm talkin' 'bout! The main diffrence would be that the ones throwing the accusations more than likely would not be guilty of the same crime that they are accusing said defendant of,......you know.......the way that Hyde and Newt and ...... how many republicans, (and democrats as well, wouldn't want to leave anybody out), were there, I lost count? The first two that were tapped to take over the speaker of the house position at least. You are also correct in your assesment of Bush's tact. He had none.

Active Duty Military cannot criticize their Commander In Chief, PERIOD! This does not make them tools as others have said. People who say such things have no idea regarding what the military and our democracy is all about. The President is elected by the people and the military's job is to carry out those orders whether they agree with them or not. His orders are supposed to be in the best intrest of the people. It's not the military's job to judge wif he is wrong or right. Their job is to offer advice and to carry out those orders to the best of their abilities. You have to follow your chain of command and that command starts with the president. If this structure didn't exsist we would be just another military dictatorship.

As a former military man who served during the clinton and bush administration I must say that it is refreshing to see a story coming from an actual military commander about a draw down. There will still be solderis in Iraq/Afghanistan for a long time and this is what McCain referred to during his run at the presidency. It is no different than South Korea and Germany.

To the young Korean who posted saying that the South Korean's hardly ever worry about the North. This is true if you are 25 and younger. But after serving there for a year and speaking to a variety of South Korean's in varied age, you find that the older generation has a much more rooted fear of the North because they have seen what they can do when they want to attack. But if the US ever pulls all troops out of South Korea then the economies of many small areas in the country will dry up and people will suffer. So be careful what you ask for, you may get it.

My heart aches for all of those who believe General Odierno or anyone else who claims the United States will EVER pull out of Iraq. We may not be cruising around in Fallujah on patrol but if we still have a base in Guantanamo Bay, of all places, there is no way in hell we'll "pull out" of Iraq in two years.

I will never understand why some say Obama is weak and spineless for opening up communication with our enemies. I find it to be progressive thinking, and a refreshing change from war mongering when he showed a sign of respect and bowed. It would be like if Obama went to another country, and the opposite ruler refused to shake his hand or look at him in the eye.

The Republican way of "do what we say or you die" didn't work, let's see how Obama does before we bash him.

The U. S. should be out of Iraq no later than July of this year!! The had no business in Iraq in the first place!!

We'll be gone by late 2011! That's much later than Obama promised and the same time table that was in place during later days of the Bush Administration. The Iraqi's set this time table last year. Obama and the Generals are announcing this like it is something new. It's not. There's no mention of residual forces and private contractors. How many will be left of these forces?

Scott AZ,

It appears that you are incorrect, judging by the outcome from the hostage situation with the somalia pirates, as the U.S. Navy has permantely retired 3 of the pirates and have the other in custody. and thanks to this great country that has the ability to look out for all if it's citenzens.

I spent 35 years in the military, (Air Force and Army)...I never once ever heard of a general who said he had enough men, money, supplies or ever wanted to leave an area he was in..

They just never have enough of anything...I did hear a 2 star general make a comment during Vietnam...Well this is the only war we got so wee need to make the best of it or we will never get promoted again..

This is why we have 330 bases world wide 60 years after WW-2...it is their way of making a living and they will never have enough of anything...Men, Guns, Money, buildings or any thing else.

...and the second pro-obama iraq war strategy story in the series...

BTW I also think Obama should ask congress (remember them?) to declare war on the taliban and al queda.

We don't lose declared wars. never have. Police actions? Insertion of Troops, Invasions based on resoulutions, there we have mixed results.

Plus- Gitmo detainees being POW means (on the bright side for them) no torture and the Geneva Conventions apply and on the bright side for us no charges required and we keep the until the Taliban asks for their release as a condition of their surrender.

I recall during the campaign 16 MONTHS, 16 MONTHS, "We'll be out of Iraq in 16 months."

The end of 2011 is nearly twice that. Hmmm! And he's following Bush's timeline.

I like this guy. If he is not busy when he is done with Iraq maybe he could help out in Afganistan. Where the real war should have stayed and been won.

As for the war, it is just a jumping off place for Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is just more of the same- lies, lies, lies. I will not ever trust someone, Obama, who in his first week in office makes, as in forces, the American public to pay for abortion, err murder. Have you ever seen what an abortion does to an unborn life? Do you know what happens if the pulling off of the arms and legs of the unborn, or the insertion of a tube to suck out an unborn child's brain fails to kill? They throw the born alive child into a container in a back room to die an awful and lonely death. This is who the American public voted in. If he is willing to do this to a defenseless child, what do you think he is capable of doing to anybody anywhere! Obama is pure evil!!! With this in mind, he is more evil than Osama Bin Laden... Thank God it's a good thing Mary and Joseph did not believe in pro-choice!

We can finally leave? Israel finally gave us persmission?

The fine print is: we'll be 'gone' as in we'll still leave over thirty thousand troops at permanent bases in Iraq to make sure that their 'democratic' elections always swing our way, and to show Iran we aren't backing off, even though we have no spare resources to do anything against them anyway.

andrea says to send all koreans back to Korea. Sorry, I didn't know you were a Native American. You should start telling all Koreans you meet that they should go back to Korea, and don't be INTERNET TOUGH GIRL.

daniels says to send back all cheap Korean cars. lol. Type the following words into your search engine: Car of the year 2009 You'll see a little company called Hyundai, guess what? They're Korean. An American making fun of the cars that other people make, lol that's a riot. This isn't the 60's, American cars are cheap as hell. Also, Korea is far ahead of America in terms of technology. Korea is the world leader in biotech (it used to be the USA, around 8 years ago). Get a clue about how fast the world is changing.

Young T thinks I'm a part of a communist conspiracy. I'm a Republican. Try to wrap this simple idea around your brain. Small government, low taxes, low spending, and do not engage in foreign entanglements. Ever heard of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Ben Franklin or Thomas Paine? Naw you probably haven't even read the US Constitution. Continue parroting the Neo-Con mantra, like a good fake Republican.

Yes,, yes... cut the UMBILICAL CORD.... and leave behind a few special forces to KICK their butts...

Next month it will be 2012.

I can't wait to hear how the radical ayatollahs of the Republican Party spin the rescue of Capt. Phillips against Obama.

The Pubs were screaming for Candidate Obama to admit the surge was working. My question before the election and now, how has the surge worked, Are we out? Are we spending less money on Iraq? I won't say the surge worked until we are out completely. Incidentally I
opposed the war from the beginning, The inspectors should have been allowed to finish. Bush should have finished Afghanistan and found Bin Laden. Woulda, shoulda! Doubya's legacy.!

a large part of the reason I am against the Iraq war is that I am not convinced it is necessary for our servicemen to be making the sacrifice they are there. I have both close friends and relatives serving there that I care about very much. I am aware that there are times when our servicemen (and women) do have to fight and die to preserve our freedom. I just think that our government should not take this sacrifice for granted and send them out when perhaps the same things can be accomplished by other means. I was raised by a WW2 vet and all my uncles were WW2 vets. I was taught that war is not glorious or manly, it is simply hell on earth and what it does most of all is hurt people. I hope our troops come home soon, and to all of you currently serving in the combat zones, please stay safe, we care about you, and we are proud of you.

Some ppl need to Man Up!!!! Only 1% serves that is pathetic. Serve and then complain

You know, I very sad that there are people on this blog that are even going as far as insulting the Armed Forces. I read were somebody called us a bunch of "military dweebs". That has got to be the most disrespectful thing I think I have ever heard somebody say, because without us, u would probably a casualty all ready...in your own country. The bottom line is..whether you voted for President Obama or not, he is still our president, there is nothing that can be done to change that in a logical sense, and whether you like him or not, he deserves respect because he really isn't doing too bad as president. The comment was also made that the only thing that the U.S. was good for was sticking there nose into other people business. Think about it like this. Some of these country's aren't stable enough to handle there own problems....and most of these country's are or used to be our biggest supporters. Alot of the stuff that you buy, eat, and drink, is not made in America but is imported, meaning their products help us stabilize the economy. So if we don't help them, then we lose out on business. you guys really need to grow up and stop insulting the people who are making it safe for you guys to lay your head down at night and go to sleep without worry. Everyone makes mistakes...that is true....as long as the president is learning from them and trying his best...I don't see where he is doingthat bad of a job.

Don't look now but I think he set a "Timetable"...

We have a massive, massive footprint in Iraq in terms of equipment. I know some will be left in place for the Iraqis, but I'll be interested to see if it all can be retrograded by 2011. My prediction is no - but as others have mentioned, it will probably be one of many tasks of the contingency force we leave behind. We'll always have some sort of presence in Iraq, however small it may be.

I have to warn to American readers that the two people, who identified themselves as "Machael K" and "daniels" wrote in a way suspiciously resembling North Korea's propaganda against South Korea. I have a very strong feeling that they are North Korean communist agents. As a South Korean, I feel that the two people's behavior reminds me of "a mad dog biting a feeding hand." While there were some starving South Koreans, South Korea still sent North Korean millions of tons of food, fertilizer, and others to stop massive starvation in North Korea.

He doesnt know squat.Hes a paid talking head.

I nominate paulo as "least likely to have been awakein hisory class" for his assertion that this has always been about empire.

for the record, Korea has not ended yet.

OBAMA END THAT WAR!

Democracy is great and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but it can drive you nuts at times. You can voice your opinion be you genius or idiot. Fact: Generals as with all others in the military have an opinion, however, at the end of the day, they follow the current presidents orders (Bush, Obama, whoever). Fact: It was the Bush admin (Rumsfeld) who decided against the Powell doctrine of overwhelming force then get out! Opinion: Maybe we should not have went in in the first place. Moot at this point, so we're left with making lemonaide. Like Nixon, it's not Obama's war, but he's left with the task of ending it. Let's hope he does a better job of it! Those who supported Bush need to reflect on what may have been successes and failures, and for Obama supporters, the book is being written.

“He’s very attentive. He listens. He’s incredibly intelligent. He talks through the issues. . ."

Too bad the Arayan Nation base of the repub party cannot see thru the hatred of the color of President Obama's skin, otherwise, they might agree or at least think about what the General is saying.

A President that gathers information from several sources and then makes an informed decision. What a novel approach and one that has thankfully replaced the "gut reactions" of the shrub.

just another 2 years guys. then well go fight in Afghanistan for another decade. What do you think all those permanent bases are for. What about the giant embassy....We will be there forever. This is empire. Always has been.

How convenient! Just in time for the reelection campaign! What do think we are all idiots?

Did everyone miss Odierno's statement from 3 or 4 days ago when he said we may be there longer than expected? Sounds like he got a cal from Obama letting him know he needed to clarify his position.

Tools!

Michael K Wrote:

"LOL, I'm Korean & know a lot of people (family, friends, business contacts) who live all over South Korea. If you think they think Americans are there doing South Korea some sort of favor by staying there, you're kidding yourself. South Koreans basically don't ever worry about North Korea. "
___________________________________________________
MY COMMENT: The person who identified as Michael K probably is a communist agent working for North Korea. He twisted the fact, and said something that is contrary to the feelings of an absolute majority of South Koreans toward U.S. servicemen stationed in South Korea.
One consolation in this person's sad behavior is that the internet is available in the world's most controlled state.

did i miss something?
are we not building a permanant base for our troops in iraq?

To "The Korean" who posted:

Yeah, I served (drafted) in the US Army in the early 70's and spent a couple years in South Korea. And, Yes, it's true, there are many Koreans who think that they don't need the USA. They think that the USA is more of a problem than a solution in South Korea. The first time I heard that kind of talk was from a South Korean who worked on our Army base. I told that Korean civilian that if he felt so strongly about us ugly Americans that I would be happy to accompany him to my senior officer and he could express his feelings about us Americans to my senior officer. I also told him that I and several thousand US troops would go home the next day at his bequest if we were allowed. Of course, thart meant that the US Army base would close down and he would have to get a job else where. Realizing that his livelihood was dependent on the presence of the US Army. That Korean civilian shut up and never mentioned his anti-US Army views again.

So, to the Korean who posted about not wanting American troops on South Korean soil. You may get your wish. As Obama looks to cut costs I will ask my Congressperson to cut the US forces in South Korea so we can save the American taxpayers some serious money. So, us Americans will eventually leave your shores and you can do your own military lifting. Also, we don't need your cheap cars. And all those electronic plants and textiles that you have can be easily relocated to Indonesia or Mexico.

Bye, bye- South Korea

Ray...thanks for your service. I am a retired colonel with 26 years of service, and also served in Iraq. You and I both that the militar proudly serves no matter who is commander-in-chief. Thanks again. Hooah.

Except for the small contingent emergency force of 50,000

Tools!

michael k: if it was up to me, i'll take all american troops out of korea and let you fend for yourselves. furthermore, i'd take all koreans here and send them back home too

I know General Ray Odierno and he is highly intelligent, competent and dedicated professional. He is someone you would be proud to call a neighbor, friend or colleague. If only our nation's corporate leadership and banking CEOs were of the same caliber, I’m sure we wouldn't be in the economic crisis that confronts us.

He is not merely repeating what someone told him to say, because that would be unethical and would serve neither the Army nor the nation. He is voicing his opinion based on a reasonable assessment of the situation. I believe you are being overly skeptical.

Amen, Ray. Thanks for continuing to serve.

Manuel J said:

"I'll bet most of you don't realize that Americans and South Korean soldiers die to this day preventing Communist infiltrators from coming South. That's because you've never served and don't know what you're talking about."

LOL, I'm Korean & know a lot of people (family, friends, business contacts) who live all over South Korea. If you think they think Americans are there doing South Korea some sort of favor by staying there, you're kidding yourself. South Koreans basically don't ever worry about North Korea. So stop telling yourself the America is protecting Korea, when they basically created a situation which permanently split up a huge percentage of Korean families forever.

The US does one thing really well, which is stick their nose in other people's business, and then convince themselves that they know best. You don't enter your neighbors home, just because you think you can fix the problem. Let other people handle their own problems, and learn to live with the fact that sometimes they're going to mess up.

Well, Obama is slipping his time table once again. It seems the articulate one has started to realize that it is not so easy to "walk the talk".

Isn't this about the time table that Bush arranged with the Iraqi PM?

Just as expected. Obama is all hype, and doesn't know how to execute, except he is good at spending $$$ we don't have.

John,

Too bad you have gotten used to People being punished in the last 8 years because they don't do or say what they are told. You will be happy to hear that the current administration does not operate that way. In fact many have already said that the president entertains opposing views and debates about issues.

As a member and an NCO in the US Army, I am very proud of General Odierno and his leadership style. Yes, the General does have to obey the orders of those appointed over him (President, Congress etc..) but , be rest assured that they also listen to him when he makes a suggestion. His wisdom and experience outweighs his seniors positions (in a literal sense). Our Senior Military Leaders are not mere robots who are ordered around. Believe it or not, they have a lot of influence on what actually happens on the ground in Iraq. I myself have been to Iraq twice, earned a Bronze Star and am eager to return to Iraq in a few months to fight again. So, for all of you who hate: the military, the president and those who love this county, I only have a few words for you... We will not falter, We will not back down and We will not quit. Because we LOVE the United States of America. You live in a nation where only 1% of the countrys population serves in the Armed Forces. Thats a shame compared to other nations like China or Russia. With or without your support WE (Armed Forces) will accomplish the mission! We always have and always will. P.S. You guys sitting at home with no job (and are too scared to join the Military) need to give yourselves a "man" check.

Generals only say what they're told to say. Otherwise, they're quickly put on the retirement list.

To Marcus Allen,

President Obama promised to end the Iraq war, but also promised to do it in an orderly fashion to prevent rapid deterioration. It is quite evident that he has taken the necessary steps with close collaboration with his commanders to exwcute the plan in place. He is going to get criticized no matter what he does, but stting a goal of withdrawal and having a plan to execute it was the best first step instead of "Victory" that has never been define.

The bottom line is that the president wolud not have started such a war but since he inherited it, he is obligated to get our troops outin the tactful fashion.

The biggest difference between the Past and present administration is the mindset. President Obama approach is to be smart and tough.

Just remember the more we invest our financial and military resources in Iraq and Afganistan, the less we can do to prevent Iran, North Korea, Venuzuela and Russia from expanding their powers against us.

I will urge all of you no matter what you political believes to support our president and our Country. This is not the time to hope for failure for political gains.

every time you listen to these hand picked spokespeople, we get another date of withdrawal, that gives the fed more time to print more money..

John King is a lousey reporter.

Wow, a 4-star with a facebook page? If that isn't progress than I don't know what is. As a member of the Armed Services I can say I am impressed that the ground commander in Iraq is opening up some avenue of redressing grievances and concerns about what's going on over there.

For him saying that we will be 'out of Iraq by such and such a date' is a little, well, surprising. I think there will be a permanent garrison on the order of something comparable to the force left in Korea or Japan. That's just what I think after seeing with my own two eyes how much money we invested into the 'Green Zone' and FOBs around the country. But I still hope that General Odierno is right in his prediction!

Fort Benning, GA

@Keith in Austin: Be quiet. Every American president has done that. Which would you prefer, bowing, a completely costless gesture with absolutely no effect, or not bowing out of stubbornness and then having to deal with angry Saudis?

Will you Obama bashers ever stop with the ultra-patriotic garbage?! As a former volunteer infantry soldier I am sickened by your cheap shots of President Obama. Are you Obama bashers just sad losers in the republican party? Are you patriots? Well, I have my doubts; are you loyal to your commander-in-chief, no!

McCain didn't "promise" to be in Iraq for 100 years. What kind of spin is THAT? He said that if it took that long, he would be willing to do it. BIG difference. Promising to do something and being prepared to do it as a contingency is not the same thing. Anyway, Bush has to get credit for the surge/counterinsurgency strategy that has pulled this thing out, and he also got the deal that put the hard deadline on when troops will be drawn down. I agree with others on here that some on the far left (not to be confused with the reasonable center-left) need to stop sticking their heads in the sand and simply recognize that all of Bush's ideas and policies weren't failures. Some of them were right and worked out, and Zakaria, Brown, and others have been writing about how there are MANY foreign policies of Bush's that Obama is essentially keeping. That's an admission that Bush was right about those things. (Keeping secret CIA prisons, 6-party talks with N. Korea, basically following Bush's timeline for drawing down in Iraq, keeping missile defense, etc.) What, can't you face reality? So Bush was right about some things. Good for him, and good for America.

not to pick at your facts, but all the hijackers were not saudi . The oil market is not just contingent upon on country and their consumption. if japan had to buy oil from canada, then our price of oil would have been affected.

thanks, manuel j, i was about to say that.

It's clear that Odierno needs a trip back to the US to get his NEW orders. When the President says out – he means OUT ! GOT IT!

It's NOT your call....It's NOT the Iraq's call.. it's NOT Betraus's call...It's Obama's call and the sooner you military dweebs get that thru you faces the better.

The decision making is NOT in your hands...it's NEVER been in your hands. READ THE CONSTITUTION!! IT'S A CIVILIAN CALL – END OF STORY.

Well I have heard all thru his campaign that we will not stay and we will get them out. Do it now Mr. President. Also what is up with sending more troops over seas. I know its a politician NOT TELLING THE TRUTH......

Uh, General Odierno isn't a new general. He was "trotted out" long ago, as he was the commander of the 4th Infantry Division during the initial phases of the conflict. Those of you suggesting or implying that the generals were idiots under Bush, but are not intelligent under Obama are idiots yourselves. Generals Petraeus and Odierno have been involved in the war from the beginning, and they have put us in the position we find ourselves in today, i.e., a relatively stable Iraq with much reduced violence and an actual exit door. For the past few years, the far left has refused to accept and admit that Bush's surge and counterinsurgency plan (Petraeus' plan) was working. Ever read Orwell? That's doublethink. Scarey how blinded and/or dumb some poeple are.

We have learned nothing since Vietnam. The General is only saying what he was told to say. If you haven't figured that out by now oh well. The Iraqi people were attacked instead of the Saudis. All 9-11 hijackers were from Saudi. The reason we didn't attack the KSA is that the oil shipments to the U.S. and the world would have stopped. You would have been walking to work instead of driving. Sorry folks but we will be in Iraq until the last drop of oil is pumped out of the ground. By the way most of that oil goes to Japan anyway. Most do not even realize that fact. Thank the Bush family for the Iraq wars. They have made millions. Probably all deposited in off shore accounts.

To Lori and others below. As I said, you're definitely NOT students of history. You make foolish and ignorant comments about McCain and his "100 years comment".

WWII ended in 1945. We have had troops in Japan and Germany since then. That was 60 years ago! Korea ended in 1953 and we're still their as a buffer from the North Koreans.

I'll bet most of you don't realize that Americans and South Korean soldiers die to this day preventing Communist infiltrators from coming South. That's because you've never served and don't know what you're talking about.

You also don't realize that American military personnel have fought and died in other "conflicts" that were not designated as wars.

Again, you're NOT students of history and you definitely don't speak with any sense of intellect.

Mr. King,

You interviewed General Ray Odierno today. I am curious why you did not ask him about VP Biden statement that this country is less safe today than it has ever been. It would be interesting to see what his views are on that becasue he and the armed forces filled with folks, men and women, have sacrifices so much and the blood, sweat and tears that have been shed and the lives lost all to have the VP Biden say that he thinks that the War on Terror was not successful as we are less safe now than we have ever been.

I just love the fact that our President bows to Mid-East Kings while being our Commander in Chief. I'm glad I don't have to share a fox hole with him. The brave men we left on the beaches at Normandy and Iwo Jima must be turning over in their graves right now. His weakness is apalling!

For the last few days the media has fueled the fire that General would go against the Iraqi drawdown and President Obama. No matter how hard King tried to get disagreement the General. with class and conviction, shot him down.

What are the Republicans going to say now that Sec. Gates, General Paetraus and General Odierno have complimented President Obama with his total engagement, intelligence and ability to listen before making his decisions?

we destablized the only country that was keeping iran at bay....there is basically no government in iraq at the moment, the shiites and the sunnis are going at it again except this time since saddam isnt in power the sunnis are are the ones getting killed and since most the population is shiite muslim who else in the region is shiite muslim....oh yea thats right iran...so since the shiites in iraq listen to the shiites in iran what does that mean? oh yea thats right iran is going to be running both countries now. and pakistan is about to be overthown by a bunch of radicals which will make india itchy with a radical pakistan with nuclear weapons so im sure india will attack pakistan. And with all this going on all the muslims are gonna go after the jews again who also have nuclear weapons...times are gonna get crazy all you people just watch

@ is that not two years-

Is he the Messiah or the anti Christ? Two years sure beats McCain's promise to be in Iraq for 100 years.

Think God an active duty GENERAL has spoken out with what he feel to to the truth and I applaud him for this. The time for the pull out is a little longer than I anticipated, but thiere is a true talk of a pull out from all the key parties. .

I'm definitely not a Pres. Obama fan but I think he has learned a lesson in the complexities of military affairs and now realizes pulling troops out too quickly would be too costly a proposition.

As for those bickering about sending troops to Afghanistan, did you forget where the 9/11 attacks came from? You have too short a memory and are definitely NOT students of history (e.g. Neville Chamberlain).

In addition, there are a lot of you on the Left and Right who bicker and complain but have no solutions. For you, please keep your opinions to yourselves or put your money where your mouth is and join Public Service in some compacity or another.

4,271 brave Americans have died in Iraq to date. $613 billion dollars of mostly borrowed money have been spent so far for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. It's time to bring our surviving heroes home.

The only reason why Obama wants them out is so he can run for office again and say he kept another campaign promise. It has nothing to do with the troops. He could care less. He cares more about advancing his own agenda than the lives of the Iraqis or the U.S. troops. He just better hope that the terrorists haven't caught on to this, and they are just waiting for the pull-out so they can take Iraq back over. It may be the Vietnam comparison that so many liberal Democrats were hoping for under the Bush administration, only under Obama instead. Only time will tell.

Dave, you are a fool. When Bush was president, he was insulted left and right by Obama supporters... now Obama is president and you demand respect? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

By the way Saul, there is nothing "new" about this mission... it is people promising to end the war within three to four years, but we just need to get into the war more... basically, it is the troop surge that Bush did already, just being done again (more intensive than Bush) and with the same promise that the surge will end the war within three to four years...

This war will not end under the current Obama administration, unless he gets re-elected, which is very possible considering his brilliant marketing campaign – because this guy is definitely just a more extreme version of Bush, just great at spinning stuff (something Bush had no tact for).

For instance, he asks for more money for war, and he is praised! Imagine if Bush would have done the exact same gesture, he would have been slammed by all the tree-huggers. Go figure.

Dave, I don't know what country you lived in for the past 8 years, but people both on the left and the right routinely referred to President Bush simply by his last name only. Rachel Madow even had a segment entitled "Bushed". For that matter, people also routinely referred to Bill Clinton simply as "Clinton" in conversation.

Are you suggesting that President Obama should be treated differently than his predecessors?

Thank God our President is doing what we elected him to do. If it were McCain and the Republicans they would continue this war for another '100 years' as was promised.

If Republicans care about this war and helping out the Iraqi people than why are they so anti-Muslim and why are they calling our President a Muslim to slander him? Apparently, they like Muslims. For people who think that it was justified to invade Iraq to bring about 'democracy and freedom' (yeah right) and spend our American tax dollars in Iraq, they should embrace the Muslim world, right? Republican hypocrisy, yet again.

This General seems a class and a half above the fellow cowboy clowns that W. trotted out to say "all is well". I am impressed with his style and substance. I look forward to some real progress at extricating our nation's troops from the Iraqi swamp because we have real problems, i.e. Al Quaada and Somali pirates, and those are real problems not of our own making. Best wishes, sir.

I would like more information on the residual US occupying force that is currently planned. Sure, we'll be out of Iraq by 2011... except for 50,000 US troops.

I am glad that we have such a robust and effective military team working with the president with a new mission to get our men and women in uniform out of Iraq.

Somemay not want war to go even a day longer, but be assured that we have an intelligent commander in chief that really listens to his brilliant commanders on the ground to end this dumb war.

Thank you to all the troops and their commanders who are sacrifices their lives amidst all the war and political bickering.

They are just shifting the troops to Afganistan, it's like the pea and shell game.

You may not like the man but you should respect the position. I get tried of your people disrespecting the office of the president when you refere to him as Obama. you did not do this to President Bush. He is the Persident of the United States and should be refered to as President Obama.

I am suprised the previous comment got through the moderators. I don't think personal attacks on anyone should be allowed through.

Thanks for the reporting King. A true example of how troops follow their leaders. It doesn't matter what political party is in the White House. Duty, Honor, Country.

The Messiah promised us 16 months and now you're talking 2 years?
Soon you'll be talking 3-4 years. What a bunch of BS-

You are all no better than Bush and probably worse since Bush at least prevented terrorist attacks for almost 8 years and I'm sure that under Obama (because of his weakness), we will be attacked on our soil.

"He’s very attentive. He listens. He’s incredibly intelligent. He talks through the issues."

That not only speaks volumes about Obama.

It speaks volumes about Bush.

The general pointed it out for the simple fact that Bush was none of those things.

I may be a far leftie, but I don't think we should have invaded Iraq and destabilized the region. Iraq was the only country that kept Iran in check.

Thank goodness we were not at war with the Somali pirates, looks like they would have kicked our butts.

It looks like John King's effort to get Odierno to take a cheap shot at the commander in chief may have failed this time.

Too bad some of these generals skipped the class on Vietnam.

All that's lacking is the song in the background, "I'll Be Home For Christmas..."

Interesting how some far lefties view anything that does not totally agree with their views as "to the far right." LOL.

thank you Obama and military decision makers

now follow through and get us out of there

enough is enough

no more continuing Bush/Cheney lies

John King is not a good reporter. He is too prejudiced to the far far right. Wish CNN would "lose" that position totally. His wife isn't much better – Dana Bash (bash being the key word – bash bash bash).