Iraq Advise and Assist Brigades

This summer, the administration announced the fact that there were no more combat brigades in Iraq.

There, is however, more to the story, as reported in the Raw Story back in Aug.  I am sorry, but I simply forget where I got this reference.  That bothers me because I always try to attribute any leads to articles such as this one:

The US military and the Obama administration loudly trumpeted the withdrawal of the "last combat brigade" from Iraq last week, but news reports suggest the move is purely semantic: The combat brigades are still there, but under a different name.

The Army Times reported on Saturday that the US still has seven combat brigades inside Iraq, but they have been renamed "advise and assist brigades." The name change will reportedly change little in terms of the duties the brigades carry out.

And there's more disquieting news, just in case you thought we were leaving Iraq anytime soon:

The US military presence in Iraq may continue long after the end of 2011, when all American forces are supposed to depart under a security agreement.

Top military leaders in both countries acknowledge Iraq still may need help from the US armed forces after 2011.

"We're obviously open to that discussion," US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week. "But that initiative will have to come from the Iraqis."

Iraq's top military officer told AFP last week that American forces may be needed for another decade.