He had expected the American military officer to try to talk him out of leaving.

"Washington will not put an American officer on the ground," he said.

"We're never going to get them to give up everything," a senior American military officer said.

"There is nothing that we have not been doing for a while," an American officer said.

Some American officers said troops would be here three to five years; others say 10 to 15.

While there, the general met with American officers and many citizens of the county.

In those three countries, officials said, there now were 50 to 100 American military officers, but that number is expected to grow.

"They're not looking very hard," a senior American military officer said.

But it seems an American officer arrived on the scene and might have gone after him.

American officers used threats and physical force to get others back into position.