Exit Strategy- Iraq

[andrew embassy]

A new poll came out the other day saying that the majority of Americans think the war in Iraq was not worth it. How long before the majority of Americans are calling for a pull out? Will we pull out too soon? Too late? When will it be so?

[bad_dude_69]

we need to stay there to stabilize the situation that we started. any less and we're only setting ourselves up for further humiliation. it was the bush administration's choice to go to war unilaterally, it was their flawed strategy that has led things to become this bad. it is their ignorance that today allows things to get worse. what we need is to begin the impeachment process, we need to collectively submit a vote of no confidence.

[andrew embassy]

History is not going to be kind to this administration, or on us... And for good reason. Seriously, people looking back at this are going to be like "they <i>re</i>-elected him?!" I think the administration is going to fold on this issue, and pull out under public pressure, leaving the place in a bigger mess than we found it, creating widespread hatred of the US in that region and spawning an ever increasing number of Bin Ladens...

I hate that the only satisfaction I see in this whole thing is how it will all crash down around the Bush's ears. Republican in 08? I don't think so, not after the quagmire we're in for. Hope the Democrats can pull their heads out of their asses and get an electable candidate...

[TrumpsHair]

we need to stay there to stabilize the situation that we started. any less and we're only setting ourselves up for further humiliation. it was the bush administration's choice to go to war unilaterally, it was their flawed strategy that has led things to become this bad. it is their ignorance that today allows things to get worse. what we need is to begin the impeachment process, we need to collectively submit a vote of no confidence.

We need to pull out immediately, and Bush should be tried for war crimes.

[andrew embassy]

How would pulling out immediately help the situation in Iraq? Who would rise to power in the resulting Vaccum?

[Fieryjack]

what we need is to begin the impeachment process, we need to collectively submit a vote of no confidence.

Would you get over this already? Kerry lost the election. Bush isn't getting impeached. The decision to go into Iraq was approved by congress on both sides of the aisle and it wasn't unilateral.

Amazing how many forgetful minds are around here.

[ottokbre]

How would pulling out immediately help the situation in Iraq? Who would rise to power in the resulting Vaccum?

I was reading today a great editorial about how there is no political force to the insurgency, and thats why they fail to do what, say, Hamas or Hezbollah have done, which is create both a political force and a governence.

The best thing that the more honest willed insurgency can do is slaughter the sufi purists like Zawarqi and get some public support.

But regardless, Iraq actually has a lot of potencial for self-rule. There always have been significant democratic forces. But the occupation is doing little more than uniting hatred of America. In fact, the best thing the US forces could do would be to conduct a much less violant counter-insurgency so that there wouldnt be such an overwhelming support of the insurgency. But every dumb ass jar head that eats a ham sandwhich in a mosque before making random raids there is someone wanting to defend their homeland from tyranny.

I just watched Control Room, and the reporter from Al-Jazeera nailed it; when Saddam fell, it was a releif from a heavy burden, but it was not a joyous occasion. No one felt that way. and the issue now is that Allawwi is looking more and more like the materialzed fear of these people. If it was Democracy, they could vote him out. But with the US calling for not patriated Iraqies to cast ballots, it's looking like he could end up their leader anyways.

We did our job, and I actually think that stopping offensives and police raids would be the best approach. There needs to be nothing more than a peace keeping force.

[ottokbre]

what we need is to begin the impeachment process, we need to collectively submit a vote of no confidence.

Would you get over this already? Kerry lost the election. Bush isn't getting impeached. The decision to go into Iraq was approved by congress on both sides of the aisle and it wasn't unilateral.

Amazing how many forgetful minds are around here.

my senator did'nt, neither did my congressman.

[awolski]

Would you get over this already? Kerry lost the election. Bush isn't getting impeached. The decision to go into Iraq was approved by congress on both sides of the aisle and it wasn't unilateral.

Amazing how many forgetful minds are around here.

Did you not watch the first presidential debate? I bet what Kerry said would be agreed to by a lot of members of Congress. To remind you, he said that he voted for military action that was subject to all of the conditions Bush promised it would be subject to. Among these promises were exhausting all diplomatic avenues first (another inspection was scheduled to happen, but then we invaded instead), that we would make sure we had international support for our actions (most of the world was against us), that long and careful planning would be done to ensure a quick victory and a short occupation (no, we rushed into it), that he would ensure that our troops had sufficient manpower (he ignored the suggestions of his most respected military advisors) and equipment (um...armor anyone?) and that we were doing so armed with specific information about Sadaam's supposed WMDs. None of these promises were followed through. Not to mention the fact that he pulled high level military personnel out of Afghanistan to help him plan this debacle, before their mission there was completed. Now Bin Laden is safe and sound, Iraq is a freaking Al Queda training camp, any WMDs that might have been there are now in the hands of - who knows?? - and our soldiers continue to die as chaos grows.

If there were only solid evidence Condi is blowing him - then he'd get impeached. But lying to congress, his country and the world - that's somehow OK because there's going to be elections in Iraq soon.

[andrew embassy]

what we need is to begin the impeachment process, we need to collectively submit a vote of no confidence.

Would you get over this already? Kerry lost the election. Bush isn't getting impeached. The decision to go into Iraq was approved by congress on both sides of the aisle and it wasn't unilateral.

Amazing how many forgetful minds are around here.

yeah, nothing legal is going to happen to the Bush administration, short of tapes arising showing Bush and Cheney plotting to plant evidence, they'll never be tried for anything. What's far more likely (and IMO far more damaging) is that public opinion will gradually swing against the administration, as more and more soldiers die and the futility of the situation really comes to rest on us. Also, after the next attack on our soil, the American people will remember that our main threat is and always has been Bin Ladin and reflect on the fact that Iraq hasn't made us one iota safer, and that we really did rush to war over weapons that weren't there. Then, to quote Al Pacino "a verdict will go down in the court of public opinion." And that's the highest court in the land.

[JGriffin]

A new poll came out the other day saying that the majority of Americans think the war in Iraq was not worth it. How long before the majority of Americans are calling for a pull out?

Well, we were in Viet Nam for what? Twelve years? Thirteen?

[TrumpsHair]

How would pulling out immediately help the situation in Iraq?

No more of our soldiers would have to die.

Who would rise to power in the resulting Vaccum?

What's gonna happen in Iraq is gonna happen, no matter what we try to do. We're helpless there. This all falls back on the President, who sent our troops into Iraq on false pretenses? Who sent them in unarmored? Who refused to provide enough troops to stabilize the country effectively? Who taunted the Iraqi opposition with "bring 'em on"? Who approved the American-branded torture chambers? Who has rewarded the secretary of defense who has negligently ignored the armor shortage in Iraq?

And who keeps them there as they continue to die?

We need to CUT AND RUN!

[Scodiddly]

There is no good way out now.

The longer our troops stay, the worse things will get. Violence is steadily increasing. Whether or not the torture stuff was "a few bad apples" or sanctioned by the President doesn't matter in the least to the folks in Iraq.

The least damaging exit would be to go to the U.N. with a mea culpa and some money for the rebuilding... all US troops out, and companies like Halliburton strictly audited to prevent further profiteering.

[Mr. Dipity]

The least damaging exit would be to go to the U.N. with a mea culpa and some money for the rebuilding... all US troops out, and companies like Halliburton strictly audited to prevent further profiteering.

And monkeys might fly out my butt...

[Scodiddly]

The least damaging exit would be to go to the U.N. with a mea culpa and some money for the rebuilding... all US troops out, and companies like Halliburton strictly audited to prevent further profiteering.

And monkeys might fly out my butt...

Yeah, that's the fantasy approach. The reality is that the war will drag on, thousands more will die (with 10x that number maimed for life) before (my prediction) a fall-of-Saigon style evacuation.