In 2011, the New York Times reported, "American military officials had said they wanted a 'residual' force of as many as tens of thousands of American troops to remain in Iraq past 2011 as an insurance policy against any violence." In 2010, Iraq's top military officer, Lt. Gen. Babaker Zebari, stated, "If I were asked about the withdrawal, I would say to politicians: The U.S. Army must stay until the Iraq Army is fully ready in 2020."