Iraq War: DONE

[pete rose]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_...f-iraq-war-troops-to-return-home-by-year-end/

President Obama announced Friday that the United States will withdraw nearly all troops from Iraq by the end of the year, effectively bringing the long and polarizing war in Iraq to an end.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," said Mr. Obama.

He said the last American troops will depart the country by January 1 "with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops."

"The transition in Afghanistan is moving forward, and our troops are finally coming home," he added, saying in the White House briefing room that U.S. troops "will definitely be home for the holidays."

The war in Iraq has meant the death of more than 4,400 U.S. troops and come at a cost of more than $1 trillion. Asked in a briefing following Mr. Obama's remarks if it was worth it, Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, said, "history is going to have to judge."

U.S. and Iraqi officials have spent months debating whether to honor a planned December 31 deadline for troop withdrawal, set in 2008, amid concerns that the full withdrawal of U.S. ****** could put the country at risk. Many U.S. officials wanted to leave a few thousand military trainers in the country past the end of the year, but, as the Associated Press reported Sunday, "Iraqi leaders have adamantly refused to give U.S. troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts, and the Americans have refused to stay without it."

America has already withdrawn nearly 100,000 troops from Iraq already as part of the current draw-down; about 40,000 "non-combat" troops remain. Mr. Obama said Friday that "Iraqis have taken full responsibility for their country's security" and said that the relationship between the United States and Iraq going forward will be one of equals.

"It will be a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect," he said.

Mr. Obama discussed the planned announcement earlier in the day with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki over secure video conference. He said al-Maliki "spoke of the determination of the Iraqi people to forge their own future," and that the two leaders are "in full agreement about how to move forward."

Mr. Obama said he had invited al-Maliki to the White House in December and vowed that the United States and Iraq will embark on a "strong and enduring partnership."

"As I told Prime Minister Maliki, we will continue discussions on how we might help Iraq train and equip its ******, again, just as we offer training and assistance to countries around the world," said the president. "After all, there will be some difficult days ahead for Iraq and the United States will continue to have an interest in an Iraq that is stable, secure and self-reliant.

Mr. Obama had vowed to end the war in Iraq as a presidential candidate. He spoke out passionately against the war in 2002, though later said the United States had an "absolute obligation" to stay in the country as long as it took to achieve success.

Mr. Obama said the United States will be "moving forward from a position of strength" and that the troop departure "will be a time to reflect on all that we've been through in this war."

"I'll join the American people in paying tribute to the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq," he said. "We'll honor our many wounded warriors and the nearly 4,500 American patriots and their Iraqi and coalition partners who gave their lives to this effort."

Mr. Obama cast the end of the Iraq war in the larger context of a smaller U.S. military presence around the world. "The tide of war is receding," he said, pointing to the start of a troop withdrawal in Afghanistan.

"When I took office, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in both these wars. And by the end of this year that number will be cut in half," he said. "And make no mistake, they will continue to go down."

 

[Will E Worm]

Going for some brownie points. :1orglaugh:tongue:

 

[Jon S.]

I wonder if he will pay homage to his predecessor by posing in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner!?!?!? :1orglaugh

 

[grower_boy]

What should we take from this?

 

[No_Man]

Done? I think not. January 1 is not for another 10 weeks. This is the same president who said Guantanamo Bay would be closed within 1 year... 3 years ago. Obama's word is worthless and his presidential orders aren't worth the paper they're written on. When the last combat troops leave Iraq, then the war there will be "done." Not a day before.

 

[Straight Shooter]

What should we take from this?

That Obama is one bad motherfucker. Bush started the wind down in Iraq but Obama is keeping a campaign promise and is getting us out of Iraq, he's picking off terrorists one by one with predator drones, he ****** Awlaki, he ****** Bin Laden and now he got Ghadaffi. Don't fuck Obama.

 

[pete rose]

What should we take from this?

We can finally stop spending on this bullcrap.

Done? I think not. January 1 is not for another 10 weeks. This is the same president who said Guantanamo Bay would be closed within 1 year... 3 years ago. Obama's word is worthless and his presidential orders aren't worth the paper they're written on. When the last combat troops leave Iraq, then the war there will be "done." Not a day before.

clutching at straws i see...

 

[ragincaucasian]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/obama-iraq-eternal/

But the fact is America’s military efforts in Iraq aren’t coming to an end. They are instead entering a new phase. On January 1, 2012, the State Department will command a hired army of about 5,500 security contractors, all to protect the largest U.S. diplomatic presence anywhere overseas.

The State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security does not have a promising record when it comes to managing its mercenaries. The 2007 Nisour Square shootings by State’s security contractors, in which 17 Iraqi civilians were ******, marked one of the low points of the war. Now, State will be commanding a much larger security presence, the equivalent of a heavy combat brigade. In July, Danger Room exclusively reported that the Department blocked the Congressionally-appointed watchdog for Iraq from acquiring basic information about contractor security operations, such as the contractors’ rules of engagement.

That means no one outside the State Department knows how its contractors will behave as they ferry over 10,000 U.S. State Department employees throughout Iraq — which, in case anyone has forgotten, is still a war zone. Since Iraq wouldn’t grant legal immunity to U.S. troops, it is unlikely to grant it to U.S. contractors, particularly in the heat and anger of an accident resulting in the loss of Iraqi life.

It’s a situation with the potential for diplomatic disaster. And it’s being managed by an organization with no experience running the tight command structure that makes armies cohesive and effective.

You can also expect that there will be a shadow presence by the CIA, and possibly the Joint Special Operations Command, to hunt persons affiliated with al-Qaida. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has conspicuously stated that al-Qaida still has 1,000 Iraqi adherents, which would make it the largest al-Qaida affiliate in the world.

So far, there are three big security firms with lucrative contracts to protect U.S. diplomats. Triple Canopy, a longtime State guard company, has a contract worth up to $1.53 billion to keep diplos safe as they travel throughout Iraq. Global Strategies Group will guard the consulate at Basra for up to $401 million. SOC Incorporated will protect the mega-embassy in Baghdad for up to $974 million. State has yet to award contracts to guard consulates in multiethnic flashpoint cities Mosul and Kirkuk, as well as the outpost in placid Irbil.

 

[emceeemcee]

gee I wonder why they need some huge diplomatic presence there?

 

[Boothbabe]

he ****** Bin Laden and now he got Ghadaffi.

The convoy Ghadaffi was travelling in was hit by a NATO airstrike, he was then captured by the rebels and died of his wounds. What does that have to do with Obama?

 

[TheAdmiral]

Great, they can come home and add to the unemployment rate

 

[busenbust]

....and dusted !

{one might as well say: the economy : FIXED !

 

[ragincaucasian]

captured by the rebels and died of his wounds.

lolololol

 

[L3ggy]

Please elaborate your response, Ragin.

 

[ragincaucasian]

"died of his wounds" is like saying you succumbed to the flu (after you contracted AIDS from a $1 Liberian whore)

funny way of putting it is all.

This was W's timeline to leave Iraq....why we're still in Afghanistan is beyond me. How we're continuing to meddle in Yemen, Somolia, Pakistan, Libya, assassinating our own citizens, and talking about Iran is beyond me.

 

[Rey C.]

The convoy Ghadaffi was travelling in was hit by a NATO airstrike, he was then captured by the rebels and died of his wounds. What does that have to do with Obama?

Without U.S. backing and direction, I could defeat NATO with a troop of Boyscouts carrying slingshots.

But still, big props to the rebels. They were prepared to do the mano a mano fighting and dying, so I have to respect that. As for Iraq, we should have never been there to begin with. I've said that since Day 1. And except for a few hardcore neocons and Evangelical Zionists, most (sane) Americans now finally see it for what it was: a waste of over a trillion dollars and thousands of American lives (not to mention the civilians who were ******). But that's a neocon for you. The same people who will pick apart the stimulus package will turn a blind eye to the cost of the Iraq war. Hey, what about that bridge in Iraq that got rebuilt EIGHT times?! Hey, what about that missing ten billion dollars???!!! Hey, what about the people who were soldiers last week, making $30K/year, and this week they're "contractors", making $100K/year doing essentially the same thing?! As long as the average American is unable to use math to find his way out of a two sided paper bag, the politicians are ALL safe on these matters.

It's just too bad that the Dems don't have the stomach to do it, but I think members of the Bush Administration should be on trial for treason and perjury.

 

[ragincaucasian]

 

[Rey C.]

Great, they can come home and add to the unemployment rate

True enough. But don't you find it just a bit odd that the tighty righties will happily fund the efforts of those soldiers to rebuild Iraq, but if you suggest that they get discharged and use what they've learned over there to rebuild this nation, why, you're a "by gawd socialist, ***!!!"???

 

[Hypergalaxy]

Its about fucking time. All we can take from this is we cant police the world and to have democracy the people have to WANT it and it cannot be ******. Please refer to Egypt and libya.

 

[Straight Shooter]

The convoy Ghadaffi was travelling in was hit by a NATO airstrike, he was then captured by the rebels and died of his wounds. What does that have to do with Obama?

His convoy was hit by an American predator drone and then was attacked by French fighter jets. It has to do with Obama because the Libya mission happened under his watch, American fighter jest opened the Libya mission by taking out key enemy defenses. Early on it was primarily an American led operation before we ****** on some of the responsibilities to our NATO allies.