(Not) The End of Combat Operations in Iraq

The much bally-hooed end of combat operations in Iraq is indeed nothing of the sort. In the first place, all 4,500 Special Operations troops (SEALS, Green Berets, MARSOC, etc) will remain in the country – and these are not men who do reconstruction or civil affairs work. And just because we’ve stopped fighting doesn’t mean the Iraqis have. Even if all our combat troops really were withdrawn, we’d continue to take casualties in the 49,000 support troops that remain inside Iraq.