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Iraq To US: Leave

By Big Tent Democrat, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:27:48 PM EST
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Iraq wants the US out:

The Iraqi parliament's biggest political bloc is calling for all American troops to leave this country by the end of 2011 as a condition for approving a new agreement extending the U.S. military presence in Iraq, a senior official said Sunday. . . . If the conditions are not met, "I cannot see that this agreement will see the light," said Sami al-Askeri, a Shiite parliamentarian and political adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

It was not immediately clear if the U.S. would accept the conditions, which would make significant changes to the draft agreement produced in recent days. The bilateral accord is aimed at replacing a United Nations mandate that provides the legal authority for U.S. troops to be in Iraq. It expires on Dec. 31.

(Emphasis supplied.) It seems the only people whgo want the US to keep spending 10 billion dollars a month in Iraq indefinitely are George Bush and John McCain. After all, as John McCain says:

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

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    Iraq To US: Leave | 25 comments (25 topical)

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    Let it expire (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by lentinel on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:57:37 PM EST
    Am I missing something here?

    If the so-called UN mandate expires, can we go home?

    Why do would we want this bi-lateral agreement with Iraq to stay until 2011!!???

    If they want us out, as I would well imagine they would, why in God's name don't we just say, "It's been swell. G'bye"?

    You clearly do not (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:59:45 PM EST
    support out troops!

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    Snark? (none / 0) (#20)
    by lentinel on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 05:47:41 PM EST
    Are you joking?

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    oculus is always snarking. (none / 0) (#23)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 07:07:56 PM EST


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    Yes. Sorry. (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 07:49:12 PM EST


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    Then who would.... (none / 0) (#26)
    by kdog on Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 10:32:50 AM EST
    guard the oil? Where would we base our operations when we make a move on Iran?  Where else could we so make so much money disappear?  Where would we expand McDonalds and Starbucks?

    May as well sew another star on the red, white, and blue...it's the 51st state now, we ain't ever leaving....unless we get tired of our youth getting picked off a few at a time.

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    US voters to GOP: Leave!!! (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by ThatOneVoter on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:27:21 PM EST


    No Money (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by mmc9431 on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 05:09:14 PM EST
    Bush had no problem ignoring or withdrawing from treaties that he didn't like. I hope Obama remembers that.

    The economic conditions in the world have drasticly changed. We can't afford this or any other war. It's time to pull the plug. If the Iraqi's want our help, let them foot the bill. (They're the one's with a surplus!)

    We have a lot of rebuilding of our own to do.

    Heck, al Sadr wants us out (none / 0) (#1)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:31:08 PM EST
    even sooner.

    al sadr (none / 0) (#16)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:41:57 PM EST
    should have been destroyed the first time around. had it been up to me, i'd have taken him and his group out, entirely, the first time he opened his mouth.

    just another bad judgment call by the administration. of course, i'd have gone in with half a million troops to begin with.

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    I think McCain has probably lost Bush. . . (none / 0) (#2)
    by LarryInNYC on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:33:41 PM EST
    on this issue.  I'll bet Bush signs.

    It is so very irritating Bush (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:38:48 PM EST
    has any input on this, when the next President will have all the responsibility.

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    That's three years! My nephew just got (none / 0) (#4)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 02:55:31 PM EST
    back in July and already has his orders for late spring. Not even 12 months home. What happened to that rule (I thought they made a 12 month home rule)?

    Abuse of troops (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by robrecht on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 03:05:06 PM EST
    That hasn't been honored in a while.  For the most part, the surge was not more troops, just more frequent deployments, longer deployments, and less time between deployments.

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    Yeah, it's bad. This will be his fourth (5.00 / 4) (#8)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 03:17:09 PM EST
    full tour plus one short one over there. I wish he would get out but he is a soldier's soldier. We thought he was headed for Afghanistan but their orders were changed. We were kind of relieved because he says the tours there are much harder than the ones in Iraq.

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    Well, I wish him the best (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by andgarden on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 03:21:46 PM EST


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    Thanks andgarden. Except for missing his (5.00 / 4) (#10)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 03:49:43 PM EST
    family, he doesn't seem to mind. It's a mentality I can't understand. He actually has friends over there who are so glad to see him when he comes back. He's been to the same base every time but he doesn't know where he'll be this time yet. Who knows what all could change by May or June?

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    My daughter's boyfriend (none / 0) (#11)
    by hitchhiker on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:16:45 PM EST
    is leaving for his first tour in 4 days.  It's supposed to last for 10 months, and he's assigned to be an interrogator inside the green zone.

    He's a huge Barack fan . . . just looks like nothing will change in time for him to avoid going over there.

    I'll be thinking about them. I hope he comes (none / 0) (#13)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:31:21 PM EST
    home safely. Tell her to keep her web cam on!

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    May he come home with the withdrawal (none / 0) (#14)
    by andgarden on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:37:04 PM EST


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    deployments (none / 0) (#17)
    by lucy on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:50:34 PM EST
    My son is in the Army.  He served a 15 month deployment in 2006-2007 and was supposed to go back in Jan. 2009 but there orders are on hold.  His unit is proceeding with its preparations as if they will go but they may not go, they may go later in the spring, or they may go to Afghanistan instead.  No one at his level (he's a sergeant) know what will happen.  

    I think they may be waiting until after the presidential election to make the decision.  Deployments will change depending on whether Obama or McCain is elected.  

    My son is married and expect for the separation from his wife he is looking forward to returning.  He says it's hard to explain to someone who has not been there.  

    Teresa, is your nephew in the Army or is he a Marine?  Marine deployments are shorter but more frequent.  If his is in the Army has he changed units?  The 12 month rule is for units, not individual soldiers.  The unit is promised 12 months at home  but not the individual.  If my son goes in Jan. he will have 14 months at home because he changed units.  He old unit deploys this month but his new one got home in Jan. and will return in Jan.

    Army (Airborne). He did switch units (none / 0) (#18)
    by Teresa on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 04:56:23 PM EST
    before this last deployment but I don't think he has since he has been home. I could just not know that though. He hated the unit he was with this last tour so he may have switched.

    He's at Fort Bragg and I guess their only reason for existence right now is a stopover between deployments.

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    2011 ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Robot Porter on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 05:49:56 PM EST
    are we ever going to get out of this foolish war?

    If we begin leaving in late 2011, we won't be out till early 2013.

    That would be another five years.

    don't forget, (none / 0) (#22)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 07:07:52 PM EST
    sen. mccain said he didn't have a problem with us being there for a 100 years, like korea (obviously not 100 years yet, but you get the idea), if that's what it takes.

    of course, the fact that N. Korea attacked S. Korea, and our troops are there to help S. Korea defend itself, not occupy it, seems to have slipped the senator's mind.

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    Have you ever seen the movie ... (none / 0) (#25)
    by Robot Porter on Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 01:22:10 AM EST
    JOINT SECURITY AREA?  It's a very effective South Korean thriller about the region patrolled by both sides, and has a thing or two to say about relations between South and North Korea.

    Well worth your time.

    It's available on Netflix.

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    Iraq To US: Leave | 25 comments (25 topical)

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