Who Will Decide When We Leave Iraq?

KenH · Feb 25, 2006

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poncho · Feb 25, 2006

President Bush declared in his State of the Union address that the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq would be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington, DC. But what about Iraqi politicians? Assuming that the Sadr faction in the Iraqi parliament holds together, could the end of the U.S. military mission in Iraq be dictated by elected officials in Iraq?
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When US-led forces swept through Iraq three years ago confidence in the armed forces' ability was sky high and the expectation was that they would establish a bridgehead in the region for the foreseeable future.

Now, however, commanders can barely hide their desire to pull every last soldier out of Iraq, away from the bloody counter-insurgency, and focus on a very different strategy to win the "long war" - as the "war on terror" has been renamed.

To mounting concern in Washington, Iraq's lurch towards civil war is jeopardising plans for a US withdrawal. The Bush administration insists that it will pull out the troops only when Iraqi forces are in control of the country.

But Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt, the deputy director of plans and strategy at US Central Command, which oversees the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, is adamant that the long-term presence of US forces in Iraq hinders the battle against terrorism.

"It is our view that if you look at the long war through the narrow lens of Iraq and Afghanistan, you're going to get the problem set wrong and possible solutions wrong as well," he told a briefing.
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Pentagon Promotes "long war" strategy.

I've answered this question before Ken. We aren't leaving Iraq. Long wars are more profitable to those that control governemnt than short wars. If you were a military contractor with billions of dollars from your Saudi investors and others hungry for profits which would you prefer a two year war or a twenty year war?

Nevermind Ken you are a person with principles I doubt you'd give the investors the answer they want to hear.

Who Will Decide When We Leave Iraq?

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Who Will Decide When We Leave Iraq?

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