Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq: Possible Timelines and Estimated Costs
Abstract
President Obama has announced that all U.S. combat operations for the war in Iraq - also called Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) - will cease by the end of August 2010. According to the timeline described by Administration officials, the approximately 128,000 U.S. military personnel currently in Iraq would remain therethrough the Iraqi elections scheduled for January 2010. After that, U.S. forces would decline to no more than 50,000 troops by the end of August 2010. In accordance with the Status of the Forces Agreement signed by Iraq and the United States in November 2008, the remaining 50,000 U.S. troops must leave the country by the end of December 2011. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that to comply with that timeline, the Administration will need to withdraw military personnel from Iraq in two stages: one between the Iraqi election and August 2010, when almost 80,000 U.S. troops would be removed over a period of seven months, and the other before the end of calendar year 2011, when 50,000 troops will need to be withdrawn.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 07, 2009
- Accession Number
- AD1134643
Entities
People
- Douglas W. Elmendorf
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office