If that is the case, then it is now time for us to leave. If President Bush keeps U.S. troops in now, when the leader of Iraq says they can go, then he's not in this war to make Iraq a free nation, but has other axes to grind.
If our troops are not required by that government, then we should wish them God's Speed, our help in any way we can give it-and then bring our troops home, and concentrate on the legitimate war in the region, Afghanistan.
With this statement, American troops should be out by early fall, no sooner.
Falcon84 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 887 times:
I came out in favor of the surge, solely because I didn't see any viable alternative, but if the Iraqi government says our troops can leave, we should do the honorable thing, and do just that.
Itsjustme From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 2765 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 870 times:
Quoting Falcon84 (Thread starter): If our troops are not required by that government, then we should wish them God's Speed, our help in any way we can give it-and then bring our troops home
Not only has the Iraqi leader declared our help is no longer needed but his closest adviser, Hassan al-Suneid, has accused the US military of "committing human rights violations and embarrassing the Iraqi government through such tactics as building a wall around Baghdad's Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah and launching repeated raids on suspected Shiite militiamen in the capital's slum of Sadr City." So, not only have we been told by the Iraqi leader we can leave, we've also been told that, if we stay, our presence is an "embarrassment to the Iraqi government". The Commander in Chief has absolutely no excuse not to begin withdrawing our troops immediately.
Fridgmus From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 1383 posts, RR: 11 Reply 6, posted (5 years 10 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 820 times:
Looks there's a little back-steppin' going on?
Paraphrased from the AP on Yahoo News 15 July 2007
Aide: Iraqi PM's comments misconstrued
BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister was misunderstood when he said the Americans could leave "any time they want" an aide said Sunday, as politicians moved to end a pair of boycotts that are holding up work on crucial political reforms sought by Washington.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told reporters Saturday that the Iraqi army and police were capable of maintaining security when American troops leave.
"We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want," al-Maliki said
Those comments appeared to undercut President Bush's contention that the 155,000 U.S. troops must remain in Iraq because the Iraqis are not capable of providing for their own security.
On Sunday, al-Maliki's adviser Yassin Majid told The Associated Press that the prime minister meant that efforts to bolster Iraq's security forces would continue "side-by-side with the withdrawal."
Majid urged the United States to continue building up Iraqi forces so they would be ready whenever the White House orders a troop withdrawal.
Al-Maliki's remarks appeared to reflect Iraqi frustration with American complaints that the country's religious and ethnic communities have failed to move fast enough to enact power-sharing deals — the key to long-term stability after more than four years of war".
Al-Maliki was a compromise candidate. All sides could not agree on each other's candidate, so look what Iraq ended up with! He's in way over his head. He's incompetent, corrupt and in Muqtada al-Sadr's back pocket. Although to his credit he's starting to creep away from al-Sadr. Helluva learning curve!
The Iraqi Security Forces are not anywhere near ready to take over, even those units that operate on their own rely heavily on the US for logistics. That is one of their main weaknesses.
I'm not anti-Iraqi by any means, they just have to get over this loyalty to the clerics, their tribes, Iran and their own bank accounts! They need to be loyal to Iraq as a whole. When or if that happens, Iraq will rock!
Iraq will be a great nation someday, but not in the near future and not with the criminals they have right now running the show.
Regardless of your opinion on the war here, we started it and no matter what our politicians say, we MUST finish it.
Just my
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