U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq by Year’s End

I am happy to hear this news.

I just worry if we are leaving a vacuum or by officially stating we are out of here terrorists will start something up as we leave; pulling us back in again.

Just the worrywart in me! :frown:
 
I'm beginning to think Pima is my alter ego. :smile:

Couldn't be more thrilled about this. We spent almost $1T and sacrificed over 4400 young American lives for this.

I look forward to reading about how incredibly wonderful the lives of the Iraqis will now be moving forward.
 
I'm sure you will read about this...in 2012 when it's a political pawn, used in the election.

I have very little faith in the middle east. Iraq's people are hopefully better off, but if they aren't, I won't lose sleep over it. The entire region is royally... EXPLETIVE. It has been for years, it will be for years.

I have as many positive thoughts when I think about the middle east as I do when i think of Haiti. It would almost be easier to just "start over" in those areas.... but that's sadly impossible.

I hope, in the future, that Iraq and the people of Iraq (or at least the people living or training in Iraq) do not pose a threat to the United States. Beyond that, I don't care.
 
I'm sure you will read about this...in 2012 when it's a political pawn, used in the election.

I have very little faith in the middle east. Iraq's people are hopefully better off, but if they aren't, I won't lose sleep over it. The entire region is royally... EXPLETIVE. It has been for years, it will be for years.

I have as many positive thoughts when I think about the middle east as I do when i think of Haiti. It would almost be easier to just "start over" in those areas.... but that's sadly impossible.

I hope, in the future, that Iraq and the people of Iraq (or at least the people living or training in Iraq) do not pose a threat to the United States. Beyond that, I don't care.

Cradle of m***********g civilization!
 
It is not a complete withdrawal...some army troops are staying under the banner of "state department employees". US soldiers with no uniforms, no weapons...all US soldiers will not be home for the holidays. :thumbdown:
 
I saw another article; can't find it now (Maybe someone knows where it is); but it implied that not "All" military members would be out of Iraq. That for operational purposes, deployed US military would be out. But that there would still be some US Military still there as trainers, advisers, and other logistic support type roles. This sounds right. I can't imagine that there won't be any military members in Iraq at all.
 
My problem with this is not only the void that will exist in Iraq, but how it is being sold to the country.

It is being sold as fulfilling a campaign promise, when in reality we are leaving because of negotiations and not military success.

Only very few of the loudest opponents of the Iraq war advocated complete withdrawal. The U.S. military commanders recommended at least 15,000 troops remain. Obama once again ignored his generals, as he did with Afghanistan, and instead pressed ahead with a politically calculated decision.

I heard an interview with a Gen. yesterday, and he stated that although the rec from the military was 15K, they went in the negotiations with the number 10K, and it went down hill from there.

In spite of all this, Obama will spend his re-election campaign trotting out his foreign policy accomplishments. He deserves credit where it is due. Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki and Moammar Gadhafi are dead. But should we see the loss of Iraq and the rise of Iran, all this will be for naught.

Honestly, if he wins re-election this may come back to bite him in his 2nd term, but oh well since he can't have a 3rd term, it will be another president's problem to "inherit". They can say the same political rhetoric Obama has said about the economy, they didn't realize the severity of the issue until they took office, thus can't be held immediately accountable for not being able to fulfill their promises, they will need a few yrs to "own it"

AHH politics, and they wonder why citizens have little faith in them!
 
I saw another article; can't find it now (Maybe someone knows where it is); but it implied that not "All" military members would be out of Iraq. That for operational purposes, deployed US military would be out. But that there would still be some US Military still there as trainers, advisers, and other logistic support type roles. This sounds right. I can't imagine that there won't be any military members in Iraq at all.

Buried over half way down in the article from the OP is this:

"About 160 U.S. soldiers will remain behind under State Department authority to train Iraqi forces along with a small contingent of soldiers guarding the U.S. Embassy. There will also likely be a U.S. special operations presence in Iraq."

My friend's husband is one of those..he is in the Army, deployed in July with his unit and although his unit will return home, he is staying until summer 2012 (specific date of return TBD).

And this from the article:

"After months of negotiations with officials in Baghdad failed to reach an agreement to keep possibly thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq as trainers, Obama announced he would stick to plans to pull out the remaining force of 40,000 by year's end."

President Obama wanted to keep troops there, but the Iraqi government did not agree. This withdrawal is the agreement of former President Bush.
 
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