Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lastat06513]

Recently, a very affluent Democrat, Sen. Murtha, usually known for his "hawkish" views of war and US policy abroad, has begun to advocate the withdrawl of US troops from Iraq.
And I just finished reading an article on YAHOO! that said almost every major faction in Iraq has agreed to demand a timetable for the eventual and inevitable withdrawl of US soldiers from Iraq
Murtha states that he is not listening to people like Michael Moore, but to the average veteran coming back from the CZ and to the frightened parents of soldiers who are still over there.

I want to start a serious debate about this...

Do you think it is time for the US to start considering pulling out of Iraq?

Do you think these lucrative oil contracts are worth the 2000+ lives lost there?

Inquiring minds want to know....

[Yu_Bum_suk]

As I said before, I think the magic number will be 3,000. When the number clearly exceeds 9/11, almost no one will see the point of invading Iraq as to 'prevent another 9/11'.

[EFLtrainer]

I agree with the supposition that the presence of the US and other foreign troops is what is primarily fomenting the agression. Thus, logically, if we leave most of the supposed reason for us to be there leaves with us.

Yes, there are a lot of attacks on Iraqis, but the Iraqis are not going to put up with that for long. They have to now because the situation is so tenuous. If we leave, the insurgents suddenly have no excuse. The situation will simplify greatly and the insurgency will slowly roll to a stop because a large majority of Iraqi's are against it - even if it is mostly along sectarian lines.

That would put us in position to realign our forces for more effective search and destroy missions against the extremists/Al Queda. it would also put us in position to stage troops close enough at hand to go back in if invited by a legit government to assist with any remaining insurgency or as part of a NATO/UN mission to prevent civil war.

A side benefit would a draw down of the NG and rest for the reg. military.

And it would save an awful lot of lives on all sides.

But this goes against the Bush fantasy that the insurgency existed before the invasion, which seems to be his justification for remaining.

[sundubuman]

I say as long as there is instability, pulling out would be the biggest disaster possible.

We should stay until

A. Iraq is secure

or

B. A democratically elected Iraqi government asks us to leave.


And it is my earnest belief that by deposing a madman who had used chemical weapons on his own civilian population, invaded 2 countries, lobbed missiles into an American ally's terrotory and rewarded the families of homicide terrorist bombers with 20,000 USD, and who was increasingly able to do business with French and Russian "businessman" despite UN sanctions, and whose 2 maniacal despotic sons stood to continue to build dozens of more palaces for another 40 years...........

That the US and its allies (not Canada, France, Germany or Russia) have saved America and the world from much greater tragedies than September 11th.

[sundubuman]

I couldn't disagree more with EFL,

If we leave, the Kurds pull into their armed section of the country, and the Sunnis join with sympathizers in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, while the Shiites join with Iranian sympathizers to create a truly disastorous conflagrtion.

People who are advocating withdrawal are either

a. politically motivated (Democrats)
b. Bush/America haters (Yu Bum) who desperately want to see America fail
c. or idiots, some of whom are well-intentioned though

[EFLtrainer]

[EFLtrainer]

[Tiger Beer]

I'm for giving Kurds sovereignity even if upsets our pseudo-ally Turkey.

So yes, US troops SHOULD withdraw, and Kurds should have sovereignity.. and let whoever else of the rest elect whoever they want democratically or otherwise.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think we are obligated to stay until a duly elected government has had a fair shot at getting itself established. Murtha says start withdrawing in 6 months. That sounds about right, give or take a few months closer to that time. Certainly by the end of 2006.

In the meantime we need to expand the military, either through the draft or by increasing benefits so much that it is attractive. We are going to need a larger army when hell breaks out in the area--and it's going to. The Saudis can't hold on to power much longer. The ayatollahs in Iran are increasingly unpopular--but may take Iran nuclear before they are ousted. I'm not holding my breath for Egypt to reform peacefully. Pakistan is as unstable as ever and Afghanistan is a mess. It takes two years to train a soldier, so we need to start soon.

[rapier]

If the US pullout I doubt they'll keep the new flag, it looks a bit dull.

[Yu_Bum_suk]