The Pentagon had originally projected that the occupation force would have been cut in half by this point.

CNN: Ex-Army chief: U.S. misread Iraq stay

"Call such a troop level what you will, but such a large number can only be viewed by the Iraqi public as an enduring occupation force, " said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-California, in a statement.

CNN: 12,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq by fall, military says

Designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the EU, it is seen by its supporters as a legitimate fighting force defending Palestinians from a brutal military occupation.

BBC: Britain 'should approach Hamas'

Its members unanimously endorse the use of force to protect the "Palestinian people" and end the occupation of the West Bank by the Israelis.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: UN intervention into Libya an ominous precedent for Israel