How would you get us out of Iraq?

[AtlantaWalter]

OK, everyone for the most part is in agreement that we should have gone in and taken Saddam out. We have "freed" the Iraqi people and done away with the evil government that ruled the people.

Let's here everyone's ideas on getting our troops OUT of there before it becomes more of a quaqmire than it already is.

Does anyone think that if we just pulled out tomorrow, they would resort back to a Saddam-like dictatorship by next month?

Would the various religious/political factions revert to a perpetual civil war until one side or the other won out?

 

[DKSuddeth]

we shouldn't be pulling out of iraq anytime soon. we need even more troops in iraq to rid it of its insurgency and the AQ cell floating in. We also need to be doing more to swing the iraqi populace over to helping us instead of waiting for us to help them.

 

[Johnney]

i think if we do pull out too soon there will be someone just like shithead taking over sooner or later.

 

[Bern80]

whoops

 

[Bern80]

Not an easy one. Though i don't think it's the quagmire that people think it is. Right now we are trying to rebuild their country. that means building schools, supplying electricity, water, and other basic needs. These construction efforts are going on, on a daily basis though we don't get to hear much about. Our media would rather just focus on death.

These efforts our being hampered however due to attacks despite the fact that most Iraqui's do want us their.

There is no quick fix or get out ASAP plan as there shouldn't be. What we need to do is come up with an effective way to stop these attacks so we can get some real work done for these people.

For now i think we should have more troops in Iraq. As for pulling out "if" we ever get a handle on the attacks. We would probably keep rotating divisions in and out. We will need to work with this countr for some time before they can manage on their own

P.S. In short I agree (amazingly) with DK 100%

 

[nbdysfu]

I agree with DK, but I think one might consider wether we need more troops or more police, MP, and fire fighters there.

 

[William Joyce]

Get out of Iraq? I don't know how we'll ever manage. The pile of rose petals is so heavy, it appears we're snowed under for the time being. But I sure am glad we got in there to create the fluorishing, Western-style democracy that Iraq is today.

 

[kcmcdonald]

The way to get our troops out of Iraq the quickest would be to allow a stable and secure Iraqi coalition take power. If we just walked out now or to soon the country would fall into a religiuos civil war involving not only the Shites, but also the Kurds, the Turks, The Iranians, and the Saudies. It would be a great big mess and in the end we would have to go right back in. So it is in our best intrest to stay until stabiltiy is achieved. With police and security forces dieing by the hundreds now is not the time to leave. the situation will probally be good about next year(as long as bush stays in office, otherwise I couldn't tell you when the whole Iraq, Afganistan situation would be over)

 

[nbdysfu]

With police and security forces dieing by the hundreds now is not the time to leave.

On the same page. The terrorists have become ineffective against us troops, so now they turn in force against innocent unarmed and unarmored civilians The apologists were saying we should be heavily protecting our troops, saying the terrorists were making a mistake when they previously hit civilian targets( in denial of the history of terrorism). They were totally wrong in that calculation. Terrorists do not discriminate, and when they can, they avoid military confrontation. Hi kcmcdonald, nice to have you here

I'm curious, what does anyone think of Al-Hurrah?

 

[AtlantaWalter]

"I'm curious, what does anyone think of Al-Hurrah?" (quote
nbdysfu)

"Bush said that to cut through the barriers of hateful propaganda "the Voice of America and other broadcast services are expanding their programming in Arabic and Persian and soon, a new television service will begin providing reliable news and information across the region."

The president was referring to al-Hurrah, -- the free, in Arabic -- a U.S.-financed television channel that will broadcast news and information to the Middle East from its studios in suburban Virginia, outside Washington."

That's all I know about it. If it's in suburban Virginia, outside Washington, you can bet it's sponsor has only 3 initials.

 

[modman]

Drop the bomb and get it over with. Thats where were heading anyway. You wait till you see the shit thats gonna' go on around June 30 this year. What a friggen joke. These people are not going to accept democracy. They want a civil war to settle who has the better religon. And it will be Islamic law for everyone. Woman will be treated as dogs just like they were before. Everyone says the world is better off without Saddam. It is way way way way too early to say that. We'll see what happens around June and July and after that. Best option is to get out and let them go at it. Let them sort it out. It's thier country let them live how they want to live. Oops I forgot they have the oil, can't do that.

 

[kcmcdonald]

Oh yeah that will be just great. lets let the hole middle east get into a hudge civil war. What side do think is going to win. And when that side wins how do you think they'll view the west. Those people HATE us with every bone in thier body. The lucky thing is that they don't lead a country. The worst we worry about is a small group blowing themselves up. Imagine if they had an army. If they had WMD's. I'll tell you what will happen.
1st. this new islamic country will declare war on isreal and send troops.
2nd. Isreal will beaten because they don't have the millitary population to take on a whole region.
3rd. The US will get involved, again. Because Isreal is our Allie and were about the only western government that supports them.
4th. The Arabs only recourse will to be to use Nucleaur weapons. (Iran has a program in affect right now, and there not that hard to get a hold of just look at KAHN from pakistan) Then isreal will launch and so will we.
5th. hello WWW3

Yeah thats a great idea let's let them figure it out....
domb ass that's how we got into this problem in the frist place is by letting these people figure it out for themselves. They are incable of making a rational choice. to them the only choice is the destruction of Isreal and the entire west. Yeah I feel like living under Islamic law..... Not while ther is a breath left in my lungs will i bow before these religios zelots.

 

[5stringJeff]

How to get out of Iraq:

1. Hold elections ASAP. June 30th may be a little too optimistic. But don't delay them one day.
2. Ensure that the new government takes power peacefully. Guard against any attacks on the government during its first few months of existence.
3. Once the Iraqi Army and police forces are trained and ready to work, start slowly handing the workload over to them. Train and operate side by side for a while, if necessary.
4. Keep only a minimum combat force in Iraq, while keeping engineers and/or medical troops in Iraq if needed/requested to provide support to the budding Iraqi infrastructure.

If this plan were instituted, I think most troops could be home by summer of 2005. IMO it seems like a resonable plan. Although, the sooner Bush starts pulling troops out of Iraq, the better it will look for him politically.

 

[freeandfun1]

You points are well taken, but if we pull out (or even let them hold elections) now, without stabilizing the area, religious fanatics will take over and the area will be doomed. We need to try and implement some kind of federalist government there so that the regional differences will be recognized, but that will not allow for the ruling of the minorities by the majority. We have to understand that not everywhere is like America. They will not respect the other religous differences of others, etc. unless we keep some force there to make them get used to it. JMHO!

 

[kcmcdonald]

Good point free....
We need to make sure stabilization occurs before we pull out.

Keep only a minimum combat force in Iraq, while keeping engineers and/or medical troops in Iraq if needed/requested to provide support to the budding Iraqi infrastructure.

Not a very good idea, these non combat troops are what's know as sodt targets. They are nont trained in warfare(if they are it's minimal) adn they do not have the equipment to survive firefights. Combat ready troops need to remain in the country till an Irqi army can take the brunt of the security work, However we will still need a contingant of US forces in the area just in case(about 15,000 i.e Afganistan types)
That way we hand over soverignty and garenty that we don't just end up with anither Iran in the country we jsut liberated.

We need to try and implement some kind of federalist government there so that the regional differences will be recognized, but that will not allow for the ruling of the minorities by the majority

Man that is perfect. That would be the greatest thing ever. Iraq would become the envy of the middle east. (might want to be careful of that, might cause it to be invaded by it's jealous nieghbors, Ha Ha)

 

[Said1]

Originally posted by freeandfun1
Y We need to try and implement some kind of federalist government there so that the regional differences will be recognized, but that will not allow for the ruling of the minorities by the majority. We have to understand that not everywhere is like America. They will not respect the other religous differences of others, etc. unless we keep some force there to make them get used to it. JMHO!

That would be an excellent plan, and it`s worked in Canada, but unfortunately it does not erase deep seeded hatreds and political competition by the separatist movements and the rest of Canada. This is stuff the Canadian media hides, but I can tell you it`s here, and it just gets worse over time. Ì know Iraq isn`t a fluffy bunny peace loving country like Canada, and I too agree there would be some force needed to make them get used to it, but like I said, old hatreds run deep. They are passed on to future generations, and as we have seen time and again in the ME, it doesn`t take much to get a few fanatics organized.

 

[Bry]

I'm starting to be of the opinion that we should get out as soon as possible and let the pieces fall where they may. I know that's not going to be a very popular idea, though Bush's time table isn't much different. But I just don't believe we can force feed them a western style democracy. gopJeff's ideas are as good as any, but in the end, it won't matter what we do, and inevitably our meddling will tend to benefit one faction or another.

I do disagree with the idea that we have to stabalize the country before elections are held. Stability is precisely what we aren't going to see in Iraq for a good long time, after the dust has settled and a new dictator is in place.

Bremmer has said that no constitution will be ratified without his signature. How can we expect them to live by, much less treasure, a document that isn't even an expression of the nation? I just can't get my brain around this conundrum. Can anyone think of even a remote precedent for this type of situation? I can't.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by Bry
I'm starting to be of the opinion that we should get out as soon as possible and let the pieces fall where they may. I know that's not going to be a very popular idea, though Bush's time table isn't much different. But I just don't believe we can force feed them a western style democracy. gopJeff's ideas are as good as any, but in the end, it won't matter what we do, and inevitably our meddling will tend to benefit one faction or another.

I do disagree with the idea that we have to stabalize the country before elections are held. Stability is precisely what we aren't going to see in Iraq for a good long time, after the dust has settled and a new dictator is in place.

Bremmer has said that no constitution will be ratified without his signature. How can we expect them to live by, much less treasure, a document that isn't even an expression of the nation? I just can't get my brain around this conundrum. Can anyone think of even a remote precedent for this type of situation? I can't.

Do you believe you can forcefeed the American people a socialist agenda?

 

[Bry]

Do you believe you can forcefeed the American people a socialist agenda?

 

[wonderwench]

If we leave Iraq before a government is firmly in place, we are inviting a civil war. It is just as important to win the peace as it is to win the war.