The United States could have fighting forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade, the top Army officer said, even though a signed agreement requires all US forces to be out of Iraq by 2012. Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, said Tuesday his planning envisions combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade as part of a sustained US commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism in the Middle East. “Global trends are pushing in the wrong direction,” Casey said. “They fundamentally will change how the Army works.” He spoke at an invitation-only briefing to a dozen journalists and policy analysts from Washington-based think-tanks. Casey's calculations about force levels are related to his attempt to ease the brutal deployment calendar that he said would “bring the Army to its knees.” Casey would not specify how combat units would be divided between Iraq and Afghanistan. Casey said his comments about the long war in Iraq were not meant to conflict with Obama administration policies. Although several senior US officials have suggested Iraq could request an extension, the legal agreement the two countries signed last year would have to be amended for any significant US presence to remain. As recently as February, Defense Secretary Robert Gates repeated US commitment to the agreement worked out with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al
