Early Troop Withdrawal from Iraq
Early Troop Withdrawal from Iraq
The war in Iraq is yet another divisive topic that often turns into a one-issue vote. Like abortion, voters could very well pick a candidate who agrees with their position – and those positions run the gamut. Some opposed going into Iraq in the first place, others are calling for an immediately withdrawal, another group is pushing for a phased withdrawal. Others are considering partitioning the country along ethnic boundaries or staying the course until the Iraq government can take over.
Users that have shown interest in this issue
Candidate Responses
Favors withdrawal of most U.S. troops by year end. Voted for war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008.
Favors cap on troop levels and starting withdrawal in three months, with U.S. out by 2009. Voted for war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008
Favors immediate withdrawal of 40,00 to 50,000 troops. Supported war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Opposed Bush plan to send additional troops to Iraq.
Opposes setting timetable for troop withdrawal. Supported Bush plan to send additional troops.
Supports immediate withdrawal of troops. Opposed use of military force in Iraq and says Congress should demand an end to the war.
Early Withdrawal?
submitted by lilwillow It appears to me that the abject Early Withdrawal is passe. There is no early withdrawal, Have you seen or heard of one? No. And you won't. Iraq has been squirming to get rid of us for most of 2008 or at least after the Surge "worked". Why aren't we leaving? Are we afraid to turn it back over to them? Afraid of upheaval in government? Had we given them the civilian assistance they needed and shown them how to organize their own government workings, we would be looking at a much more viable Iraqi economy, better schools, hospital, infrastructure and a much superior quality of life for the average Iraqi. But no, our sole interest was military, more subcontractors, better wheeled vehicles, better armor, better this and that all to fight. And all of us here as well as the Iraqi citizenship have paid dearly. Why haven't we shown the internal Maliki regime how to take care of themselves. It was easier to just make awards to someone's cousin or next door neighbor and perpetuate a "cause" that no one but Bush and Cheney dittos are interested in, and NOW people out there are thinking of electing another set of hawks, the McPalin consortium? Wake up!
As long as needed.
How long would you think it takes to build up a society that rises from the persistent ashes of a regime that gassed its dissidents?
Perhaps you misunderstood the mission of the surge. It was to overpopulate insurgent areas with troops so that commanders had the immediate manpower on the ground to eliminate the traditional avenues of regress available to the enemy. When a strike occurs the enemy picks the time and place, they strike when they can retreat. It was our intention to deny them that opportunity so they could not strike again.
To assume that schools are needed more than guns then have a misunderstanding of what is needed over there. Consider the basic needs of man, first the physical needs of survival and safety need to be met before psychological and actualization needs. The surges goal in life was to provide that first basic need to a people that have been suppressed and forced into fear. You can tell I am military, I do not like military options for everything, but in an instance where the government is so controlling that it can eliminate its own population with chemical weapons it offends me. I consider this as a neighbor that knows there is child abuse in the next house but does not do anything about, you call in the police, if the perp barricades themselves in then you call SWAT. Can you rise against the American government? Can you do anything if martial law is declared that strips you of your rights? I assume no. If they took your family in the night for questioning would you want assistance from someone that had the power to prevent atrocity?
We will be there for a while, it sucks, but someone needs to help these people. I for one want to. And no, they are not ready to be independent yet. Anyone with experience in high government that is Iraqi was loyal to Saddam. And we complain that Palin and Obama lacks experience. In the end we will leave at a point when only the Iraqi can improve the situation.
I do agree that contractors should be illegal. A soldier fights for honor, a merc for money. I am not about to hand over the defense of this nation to a pirate. It is a mistake and a sign of political weakness that we cannot muster a uniformed military that can hack it. I am ashamed of torture and any soldier/spook/contractor that engages in it is the lowest form of life and I will consider them lower than Adolf. You do not put your hands on someone to torture them, you respect all life, you respect the EPW status and you use your resources to fight the good fight, not fight the easier fight.
Finally war is not a football game. What do you see a team do at the end of a game, as the timeline draws to a close. They play the clock and not the opponent. If you are behind you adopt a strategy differently than as if you are ahead. However at the end of the game both opponents leave the field. A timeline will require us to leave the field, but not the opponent. Any high school team in the nation could beat the Patriots under those conditions.
Timetables are Sensitive information!
Generally information about military actions are classified Top Secret.
In a perfect world, military intelligence leads to no deaths.
Immediate military actions are classified as Special Intelligence/Operations. SIOP intelligence is the most sensitive and could cost the lives of our troops, enemy, and innocents.
Published "timetable" of troop actions could caused many lost lives because the tyrantss will bank on the timetable to take over the region.
If the US publicize a certain date for withdrawl, the tyrants will plan to take action the next day or week after the end of the US timetable.