ray odierno

Army Chief Voices ‘Serious Concerns’ About ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Change

Staff / Truthdig Feb 24, 2010 Although other military leaders have expressed their support for a moratorium on the infamous "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding American gay and lesbian troops, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the U.S. Army chief of staff, expressed reservations to senators on Tuesday about changing the law in wartime. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

It’s Time for the U.S. to Declare Victory and Go Home

Staff / Truthdig Jul 31, 2009 As the old saying goes, “guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Since the signing of the 2009 Security Agreement, we are guests in Iraq, and after six years in Iraq, we now smell bad to the Iraqi nose.We are guests in Iraq, and after six years in Iraq, we now smell bad to the Iraqi nose. Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

‘Colbert Report’ Invades Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Jun 9, 2009 Stephen Colbert, in a hilarious outfit, has taken his show to one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces in Baghdad to entertain the men and women of the U.S military. Watch President Obama order Gen. Ray Odierno to give Colbert's coif a military makeover. Update: Full videos added. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Top U.S. General in Iraq Says U.S. Won’t Be Invited to Stick Around

Staff / Truthdig Mar 11, 2009 Gen Ray Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, said he doesn't expect the Iraqi government to ask U troops to remain beyond the 2011 deadline "I think that the Iraq leadership is focused on that this ends in 2011," Odierno told the Associated Press If security allows, the number of U troops to be withdrawn this year will increase 3,500 (one brigade) over the number of 12,000 previously announced, the general said. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Odierno Takes Petraeus’ Place in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Sep 17, 2008 On Tuesday, Gen. David Petraeus handed over the duties of commander of multinational forces in Iraq to his second-in-command, Gen. Raymond Odierno, who worked with Petraeus on implementing the U.S. troop surge over recent months. To mark the occasion, Petraeus, other American officials and Iraqi brass joined Odierno for a ceremony in a Baghdad-area palace formerly owned by Saddam Hussein. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

No End in Sight

Staff / Truthdig Jun 17, 2007 It's now five months into the US troop "surge" in Iraq, and although Defense Secretary Robert Gates (center) claimed during his visit to Baghdad this weekend that it's still too early to tell if the surge is working, one U military higher-up, Lt Gen Raymond Odierno, admitted that only 40 percent of Iraq's capital city is consistently safe . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )