Iraq Wants the US Out - Our New Saigon Moment

[BlackAsCoal]

BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity.

Mr. Maliki spoke with The Wall Street Journal in a two-hour interview, his first since Iraq ended nine months of stalemate and seated a new government after an inconclusive election, allowing Mr. Maliki to begin a second term as premier.

A majority of Iraqis—and some Iraqi and U.S. officials—have assumed the U.S. troop presence would eventually be extended, especially after the long government limbo. But Mr. Maliki was eager to draw a line in his most definitive remarks on the subject. "The last American soldier will leave Iraq" as agreed, he said, speaking at his office in a leafy section of Baghdad's protected Green Zone. "This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration. It is sealed."

More at link
Iraqi Prime Minister Says U.S. Forces Must Leave On Time - WSJ.com

Say hello to Iran.

Trillions of taxpayer dollars thrown away, the loss of American influence and stature all over the world, countless of innocent people dead .. including tens of thousands of dead and wounded American soldiers .. all to hand Iraq to Iran like a wonderful Christmas present.

 

[WillowTree]

We should get it.

 

[Missourian]

BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity.

Mr. Maliki spoke with The Wall Street Journal in a two-hour interview, his first since Iraq ended nine months of stalemate and seated a new government after an inconclusive election, allowing Mr. Maliki to begin a second term as premier.

A majority of Iraqis—and some Iraqi and U.S. officials—have assumed the U.S. troop presence would eventually be extended, especially after the long government limbo. But Mr. Maliki was eager to draw a line in his most definitive remarks on the subject. "The last American soldier will leave Iraq" as agreed, he said, speaking at his office in a leafy section of Baghdad's protected Green Zone. "This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration. It is sealed."

More at link
Iraqi Prime Minister Says U.S. Forces Must Leave On Time - WSJ.com

Say hello to Iran.

Trillions of taxpayer dollars thrown away, the loss of American influence and stature all over the world, countless of innocent people dead .. including tens of thousands of dead and wounded American soldiers .. all to hand Iraq to Iran like a wonderful Christmas present.

Cool, let's go home.

My sole argument for remaining in Iraq when the Democrats insisted we pull out immediately was that we had a responsibility to stabilize Iraq.

I didn't want Iraq to become another Somolia.

IOW, we broke it, we were obligated to remain until the Iraqi's could stand on their own.

If Iraq's democratically elected government is telling us they feel confident we have met that obligation, we should happily acquiesce to their request.

 

[Avatar4321]

Fine by me. We said we would leave when they asked us to. Let's get out. Not sure what the big deal is.

 

[Sallow]

Time to leave.

 

[High_Gravity]

If thats what they want, so be it.

 

[Sunni Man]

Thousands of dead American soldiers and many more severely disabled.

Tens of thousands of dead civilian Iraqis and millions more displaced and homeless.

Close to a trillion dollars of taxpayer money spent.

And we accomplished???

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Wait.. weren't we told just a few years ago that we'd never get out of Iraq?

 

[DiamondDave]

If that is what Iraq wants.. they are ready to handle their own security and national defense... and they are self sustaining on infrastructure enough to continue the rebuild themselves.... good for them... more power to them... hope they thrive as a free constitutional nation in that region for generations to come...

And no, Coal, it does not mean that Iraq gets 'handed over' to Iran... or that we are in to Iran next without some huge reason to attack them

 

[Foxfyre]

My early preference was to stay and demand a democratic and stable nation there as we demanded of Germany and Japan, both of whom were our mortal enemies, and both of whom are now friends, allies, and strong assets rather than liabilities to the world.

Once we elected for maintenance rather than victory in Iraq, the war was lost. And once we announced a departure date, any chance we had to demand a stable and forward looking Iraq was also lost.

We might as well pack up and go home now and not expend any more of our blood and treasure for a cause we long ago abdicated.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

They know their own business best.

I think most of the insurgency is nationalist desire for independence. Which was one of the problems in Vietnam. They saw us less as protectors and more of the same as the french.

So I do think much of the support for the insurgency will die off when their is no irritant.

And who wants to be dependent on Obama for their security. I sure don't. I am sure the Iraqis like the idea even less.

 

[Sunni Man]

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a Shiite and so is most of the government, army and police.

Before our ill fated invasion Iraq was a Sunni nation.

Now it will be solidly aligned with the Shiite country of Iran.


Same with Afghanistan, a historically Sunni muslim country.

But we installed a Shiite government, complete with almost total Shiite army and police.

Huge mistakes that we will pay for in the future.

 

[bodecea]

BAGHDAD—Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity.

Mr. Maliki spoke with The Wall Street Journal in a two-hour interview, his first since Iraq ended nine months of stalemate and seated a new government after an inconclusive election, allowing Mr. Maliki to begin a second term as premier.

A majority of Iraqis—and some Iraqi and U.S. officials—have assumed the U.S. troop presence would eventually be extended, especially after the long government limbo. But Mr. Maliki was eager to draw a line in his most definitive remarks on the subject. "The last American soldier will leave Iraq" as agreed, he said, speaking at his office in a leafy section of Baghdad's protected Green Zone. "This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration. It is sealed."

More at link
Iraqi Prime Minister Says U.S. Forces Must Leave On Time - WSJ.com

Say hello to Iran.

Trillions of taxpayer dollars thrown away, the loss of American influence and stature all over the world, countless of innocent people dead .. including tens of thousands of dead and wounded American soldiers .. all to hand Iraq to Iran like a wonderful Christmas present.

Think we'll comply? Or think he'll have an unfortunate accident?

 

[High_Gravity]

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a Shiite and so is most of the government, army and police.

Before our ill fated invasion Iraq was a Sunni nation.

Now it will be solidly aligned with the Shiite country of Iran.


Same with Afghanistan, a historically Sunni muslim country.

But we installed a Shiite government, complete with almost total Shiite army and police.

Huge mistakes that we will pay for in the future.

The thing is Iraq is predominantly Shite, more than 60% I believe. The thing is during the Iraq/Iran war, Ayatallah Khomeini tried to reach out to the Shite Iraqis to switch sides but they did not, they were loyal to Iraq. I don't think the Iraqi Shites are as friendly to Iran as we think, remember alot of Iraqis lost relatives in the Iran/Iraq war.

 

[bodecea]

My early preference was to stay and demand a democratic and stable nation there as we demanded of Germany and Japan, both of whom were our mortal enemies, and both of whom are now friends, allies, and strong assets rather than liabilities to the world.

Once we elected for maintenance rather than victory in Iraq, the war was lost. And once we announced a departure date, any chance we had to demand a stable and forward looking Iraq was also lost.

We might as well pack up and go home now and not expend any more of our blood and treasure for a cause we long ago abdicated.

Define that please.

 

[Two Thumbs]

It will be nice to let them get back to killing each other over small differences in religion and age old grudges.

We can use the troops to help finish off Afganistan. Once that's done, maybe we can set up patrols along our southern boarder. uhm, Once obama is out.

 

[Sunni Man]

The thing is Iraq is predominantly Shite, more than 60% I believe. The thing is during the Iraq/Iran war, Ayatallah Khomeini tried to reach out to the Shite Iraqis to switch sides but they did not, they were loyal to Iraq. I don't think the Iraqi Shites are as friendly to Iran as we think, remember alot of Iraqis lost relatives in the Iran/Iraq war.

The Iraqi shia's are still closer to Iran than they will ever be to the Sunni's

 

[High_Gravity]

It will be nice to let them get back to killing each other over small differences in religion and age old grudges.

We can use the troops to help finish off Afganistan. Once that's done, maybe we can set up patrols along our southern boarder. uhm, Once obama is out.

No one is putting troops on the border, thats political suicide.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Would be cool if they could chill on the religious stupid. And concentrate on reading Adam Smith, Milton Friedman and the like, rather than goofy religious texts.

In other words, make earth less of a hell.

 

[High_Gravity]

The thing is Iraq is predominantly Shite, more than 60% I believe. The thing is during the Iraq/Iran war, Ayatallah Khomeini tried to reach out to the Shite Iraqis to switch sides but they did not, they were loyal to Iraq. I don't think the Iraqi Shites are as friendly to Iran as we think, remember alot of Iraqis lost relatives in the Iran/Iraq war.

The Iraqi shia's are still closer to Iran than they will ever be to the Sunni's

If thats the case they would have all switched sides during the Iran/Iraq war, thats what the Ayatollahs in Iran wanted, Iran wanted Najaf really badly because it is a Shite Holy City. The Shite Iraqis bled and died beside their Sunni brothers in that war.