View previous topic :: View next topic |
Is pulling out of Iraq the answer? |
yes |
|
20% |
[ 3 ] |
no |
|
46% |
[ 7 ] |
in a way (explain) |
|
26% |
[ 4 ] |
other (explain) |
|
6% |
[ 1 ] |
|
Total Votes : 15 |
|
Author |
Message |
cubanlord

Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Location: In Japan!
|
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject: Is pulling out of Iraq the answer? |
|
|
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/22/cheney/index.html
I am at ends with this. I think it was wrong for The U.S. to go in the first place. If we pull out now, who will clean up the mess? Is there even a mess to clean up? Are we the mess? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
|
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Here's a hint:
Who cleaned up when the US pulled out of Vietnam? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Gopher

Joined: 04 Jun 2005
|
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Some Waygug-in: Iraq is not analogous to Vietnam.
Please tell us, though, how you know what you implicitly claim to know about postwar Vietnam and its recovery and reconstruction. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Octavius Hite

Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
|
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
What we need is a real plan where America redresses its mistakes not just to Iraq but to the world at large.
First, change the government. The Republicans must be thrown out of power and a new president from another party must be elected so we'll be waiting to 2008 at the very least.
That new presdident (I'm hoping for Wes Clark) should go to the UN and make an apology for Bush's lies and half truths and BS. He should then say demand that a new (true) multinational UN force be deployed and that the US and Britain will pay for the entire cost. The US and Britain will also pay any money necessary to rebuild the country. The US will also relenquish its new "super bases" its building to the UN and promise not to stay long term.
He should then double ort triple the number of troops into Afghanistan and take care of buisness there.
Thats just a start but certainly a better idea than anything the Republicans or Democrats have come up with. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
ddeubel

Joined: 20 Jul 2005
|
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I think that it is the lesser of all evils -- to pull out.
Yes, won't be all roses petals and dancing in the street after the Americans pull out but it is far better than what is happening right now.
Let Afghanistan be an example. Everyone said , even after the Soviets said they would pull out in 6 months, they never would, couldn't !!!
But to their credit they did, right on the date set, last tank out.
CIA celebrated and the Taliban began moving in........wasn't pretty, wasn't dancing in the street BUT it was far better than a foreign invader bombing the place to smithereens and all the mutual killing , refugees etc....that had taken place........normalization took time and will take time in Iraq, now given the dynamics.
Also in Afghanistan, I'm sure a lot of lives were saved just by the poppies that weren't cultivated, post Soviets............
America can and must pull out. Yet , you will still have so many arguing the sky will fall....etc.....As Octavius rightly points out, won't happen with Bush unfortunately. Why???? The guy and his guys just would never see they could have possibly erred. They can't ever see self WRONG -- a truly horrific mindset in those that control such vast power...........So sad and so frightening...
DD |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
nautilus

Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 12:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Its good that the US is there. There are positive signs from iraq. With persistence, you could be looking at a new country emerging in a few years.
Problem is I think that America will be forced to pull out because they will have to devote resources to dealing with other hotspots, possibly Iran for example. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
Actually, the US is 'pulling out.' We are going to witness a gradual drawdown of forces. The Armed Forces are stretched thin, and America's influence over Iraq is waning due to the developments in the political process (call them a success or failure if you want, I'll call the outlook still up in the air).
Will the U.S. pull out completely? Did the U.S. pull out of Germany completely? Has Germany completed its reconstruction and unification by now? What about Japan? Has Japan joined the community of great nations yet?
The U.S. will be there for decades. Wouldn't you? They want forces and bases in the area, and one wonders if Iraqis (I mean the federalists in the government, not the Sunnis in the insurgency) are going to mind terribly as long as the U.S. stays away from daily policing.
The fact is, that outside of their detainment policy and treatment of prisoners, the US is getting their act together in Iraq. It just so happens the U.S. is at the pull-out stage.
Iraq is not like Vietnam in at least one respect. American troops will be in Iraq for at least thirty-some years, and they won't abandon their embassy. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Kuros wrote: |
Actually, the US is 'pulling out.' We are going to witness a gradual drawdown of forces. The Armed Forces are stretched thin, and America's influence over Iraq is waning due to the developments in the political process (call them a success or failure if you want, I'll call the outlook still up in the air).
Will the U.S. pull out completely? Did the U.S. pull out of Germany completely? Has Germany completed its reconstruction and unification by now? What about Japan? Has Japan joined the community of great nations yet?
The U.S. will be there for decades. Wouldn't you? They want forces and bases in the area, and one wonders if Iraqis (I mean the federalists in the government, not the Sunnis in the insurgency) are going to mind terribly as long as the U.S. stays away from daily policing.
The fact is, that outside of their detainment policy and treatment of prisoners, the US is getting their act together in Iraq. It just so happens the U.S. is at the pull-out stage.
Iraq is not like Vietnam in at least one respect. American troops will be in Iraq for at least thirty-some years, and they won't abandon their embassy. |
I highly doubt this. Bush's poll numbers have been affected greatly by the war in Iraq. The next president might calculate he could get a second term boost by withdrawing the troops around then. Or the next president might be more of an isolationist who sees no benefits to being in Iraq.
I think the U.S will be out (at around 2010 or thereabouts) |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Kuros wrote: |
Actually, the US is 'pulling out.' We are going to witness a gradual drawdown of forces. The Armed Forces are stretched thin, and America's influence over Iraq is waning due to the developments in the political process (call them a success or failure if you want, I'll call the outlook still up in the air).
Will the U.S. pull out completely? Did the U.S. pull out of Germany completely? Has Germany completed its reconstruction and unification by now? What about Japan? Has Japan joined the community of great nations yet?
The U.S. will be there for decades. Wouldn't you? They want forces and bases in the area, and one wonders if Iraqis (I mean the federalists in the government, not the Sunnis in the insurgency) are going to mind terribly as long as the U.S. stays away from daily policing.
The fact is, that outside of their detainment policy and treatment of prisoners, the US is getting their act together in Iraq. It just so happens the U.S. is at the pull-out stage.
Iraq is not like Vietnam in at least one respect. American troops will be in Iraq for at least thirty-some years, and they won't abandon their embassy. |
I highly doubt this. Bush's poll numbers have been affected greatly by the war in Iraq. The next president might calculate he could get a second term boost by withdrawing the troops around then. Or the next president might be more of an isolationist who sees no benefits to being in Iraq.
I think the U.S will be out (at around 2010 or thereabouts) |
Well, it is hard to predict these things even a few years in advance. I think your hypothesis certainly is possible. However, given the split between Democrats on the entire pull-out argument, only 36 in the Senate could line up behind Levin's (it was Levin, right?) measure to pull-out without publicizing a date (I wonder if the date really was open, or if they were going to determine a date under closed session only after it would have passed).
It would be interesting to consider a President who would relinquish Iraq given the strategic promise it holds. But a lot depends on the Iraqi response. I take it you don't disagree that the Bush administration premise, at least, is to build essentially permanent bases and keep U.S. forces there for the long-term. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
I take it you don't disagree that the Bush administration premise, at least, is to build essentially permanent bases and keep U.S. forces there for the long-term.
|
I can't think how. It's extremely costly. Why even bother, given the US's allies are the Saudi Royal faamily and Israel? The US already has excellent strategic relations in the Middle East - Iraq is solely about US coporations' profitering. If there's a revolution in Saudi, the US will have to stop it, because what regular Saudis want is a fundamentalist Al Quaeda-style government, hostile to the US and Israel. Iraq's ultimately a waste of money and the Americans will withdraw and Iraq will descend into cival war. Perhaps there'll be a revolution in the US as well, as the truth of the World Trade Center demolition emerges. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
SPINOZA wrote: |
Quote: |
I take it you don't disagree that the Bush administration premise, at least, is to build essentially permanent bases and keep U.S. forces there for the long-term.
|
I can't think how. It's extremely costly. Why even bother, given the US's allies are the Saudi Royal faamily and Israel? The US already has excellent strategic relations in the Middle East - Iraq is solely about US coporations' profitering. If there's a revolution in Saudi, the US will have to stop it, because what regular Saudis want is a fundamentalist Al Quaeda-style government, hostile to the US and Israel. |
America pulled out of Saudi for a reason, it was inflammatory to the entire Muslim world, being that Mecca and Medina are located there. Al Qaeda lists it as one of its complaints in their earlier proclomations.
But if you can't think how bases in Iraq, the crucible of civilization and the center of the Middle East, would profit the United States, I doubt there's much I can say that could convince you of it. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
ilovebdt

Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, now they're reporting that WMD have been found in Iraq (Fox Video). Maybe it's not a good idea, since it legitimizes their being there? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Gopher wrote: |
Some Waygug-in: Iraq is not analogous to Vietnam.
Please tell us, though, how you know what you implicitly claim to know about postwar Vietnam and its recovery and reconstruction. |
I never claimed to know anything other than this war was a mistake as was the Vietnam war. I doubt very much that anyone in this present administration will admit as much, but I am sure that in 10 years from now most people will agree on this point. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Did you ever really mean it when you said you would pull out? I mean, really mean it? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
|
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 9:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
After watching that and posting earlier, I had the nagging feeling there wa something more to say about it, but couldn't put my finger on it. And then, epiphany!
She talks like an astrologer: Ramblings vague enough that just about anyone can insert the paranoid fantasy of the day into any slot. IGTG would love it. Deep secret un-named evil taking over from within...
I half expected a spook to jump out from behind a tree and shout 'BOO!' at me. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|