Why are the troops not coming home from Iraq?

[Aimster]

Looks like all the talk has died. I thought the troops were going to start coming home or at least have a deadline of when they are going to come home.

 

[Schadenfroh]

They will likely be transferred to Afghanistan as Iraq takes over the fight to keep its own people from killing one-another. The government can basically do whatever they want in that regard right now, since the only thing the populace cares about right now is the domestic economy.

 

[Gand1]

Jesus Christ... how long has Obama been in office? I think the pile of shit is kinda huge on his desk atm.

 

[Insomniator]

You'd have to be an idiot to expect or want them to come home like tomorrow. Soon maybe, 1 day, no.

 

[BarneyFife]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Looks like all the talk has died. I thought the troops were going to start coming home or at least have a deadline of when they are going to come home.

Are you serious?

 

[Brovane]

Obama has already meet with military leaders. The point has kind of become moot since there is already a agreement with the Iraqi government to have all the forces out by the end of 2011, so there is a deadline. Obama wants a quicker withdraw but at the same time he doesn't want to destabilize the situation. I know Obama would like to see all the forces out sometime in 2010. He is doing what exactly he should be doing in that he is listening to the military commanders on how the withdraw should go.

 

[Genx87]

16 months but I believe some of them are going to Afghanistan.

 

[Lemon law]

In somewhat unrelated news, the Iraqi government has now banned blackwater so they have to get out. Iraqi regional elections are taking place now, if nothing else, its going to result in increased ethnic Arab representation in the Kurdish areas of Iraq, and who knows what new political coalitions will result, making positive or negative changes in Iraqi political stability likely.

Its likely Obama is playing everything by ear now, and sadly, with the removal of US troops that have basically kept the lid on the Iraqi pressure cooker, the potential for an instant Iraqi civil war increases when US troops start being removed in large numbers. Sadly, while Iraqi violence is greatly reduced, all the various Iraqi insurgencies have their turf to defend and are better armed than ever. There has been little or no political progress and real explosive factional divisions are only patched with very thin wallpaper. I do not look for big troop removals in the near future. Obama will probably delay troop withdrawals for at least six months, and the best possible solution may lie in getting Arab Nation regional help in keeping Iraq stable.

 

[Balt]

Topic Title: Why are the troops not coming home from Iraq?

Because we haven't invented Star Trek transporters yet.

 

[Train]

The troop level has been on a steady draw down for what, a year now?

If im not mistaken, Obama's 16 months from taking office actually puts the final date a couple months behind where Bush had them targeted for 100% out back in Oct/Nov time frame.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
...
Its likely Obama is playing everything by ear now, and sadly, with the removal of US troops that have basically kept the lid on the Iraqi pressure cooker, the potential for an instant Iraqi civil war increases when US troops start being removed in large numbers. Sadly, while Iraqi violence is greatly reduced, all the various Iraqi insurgencies have their turf to defend and are better armed than ever. There has been little or no political progress and real explosive factional divisions are only patched with very thin wallpaper. I do not look for big troop removals in the near future. Obama will probably delay troop withdrawals for at least six months, and the best possible solution may lie in getting Arab Nation regional help in keeping Iraq stable.

while this is mostly true, you are forgetting the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police forces have been making huge gains the past couple years, and continue to grow and get better at thier jobs. This is really the factor that allows coalition troops to pull back.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Train
The troop level has been on a steady draw down for what, a year now?

If im not mistaken, Obama's 16 months from taking office actually puts the final date a couple months behind where Bush had them targeted for 100% out back in Oct/Nov time frame.

When did GWB say he was going to have 100% of the troops back here in Oct/Nov? 😕

 

[Aimster]

Roland Martin: If you are elected what is the very first thing that you focus on as Commander in Chief of this country?

Barack Obama: Well, we will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will give them a new assignment and that is to bring our troops home in a careful, responsible way, but to end this occupation in Iraq. I will call in my Secretary of State and initiate the diplomacy that's needed to make sure that exit is accompanied by negotiations between the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: Train
The troop level has been on a steady draw down for what, a year now?

If im not mistaken, Obama's 16 months from taking office actually puts the final date a couple months behind where Bush had them targeted for 100% out back in Oct/Nov time frame.

When did GWB say he was going to have 100% of the troops back here in Oct/Nov? 😕

reading comprehension FTW.

Back in Oct/Nov (as in this past Oct/Nov, as in 2008) Bush said we would be 100% out by end of 2009. That was 14 months FROM THEN. Get it?

Then Obama says 16 months FROM NOW. That makes the end date ~4 months AFTER Bush's last target date.

Get it?

 

[alchemize]

Have you noticed that the major media networks seem to have stopped reporting on deaths too?

 

[Insomniator]

Originally posted by: alchemize
Have you noticed that the major media networks seem to have stopped reporting on deaths too?

Probably because it is going well; you only hear the media talk about the war when its "the worst month the war has seen"

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Insomniator

Originally posted by: alchemize
Have you noticed that the major media networks seem to have stopped reporting on deaths too?

Probably because it is going well; you only hear the media talk about the war when its "the worst month the war has seen"

But why not the best its ever seen? Some of the past few months have met that criteria.

I guess we only want to report the bad 🙁

 

[Insomniator]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Insomniator

Originally posted by: alchemize
Have you noticed that the major media networks seem to have stopped reporting on deaths too?

Probably because it is going well; you only hear the media talk about the war when its "the worst month the war has seen"

But why not the best its ever seen? Some of the past few months have met that criteria.

I guess we only want to report the bad 🙁

Because liberals want out, and the media is liberal.

Flame shield, activated.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: Train
The troop level has been on a steady draw down for what, a year now?

If im not mistaken, Obama's 16 months from taking office actually puts the final date a couple months behind where Bush had them targeted for 100% out back in Oct/Nov time frame.

When did GWB say he was going to have 100% of the troops back here in Oct/Nov? 😕

reading comprehension FTW.

Back in Oct/Nov (as in this past Oct/Nov, as in 2008) Bush said we would be 100% out by end of 2009. That was 14 months FROM THEN. Get it?

Then Obama says 16 months FROM NOW. That makes the end date ~4 months AFTER Bush's last target date.

Get it?

Do you believe Bush would have kept his word if in some hypothetical world he would have been Pres for another 4 years? I don't.

 

[Elias824]

Bush signed a new status of forces agreement that says were out by dec 31st 2011. This however can be changed if the pres, and Iraqi president agree too. That being said we are up until that point reducing our forces there in the major cities leaving more up to the Iraqi's.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Looks like all the talk has died. I thought the troops were going to start coming home or at least have a deadline of when they are going to come home.

we didnt get free gas either. damn muslim president! :roll:

 

[Brovane]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Roland Martin: If you are elected what is the very first thing that you focus on as Commander in Chief of this country?

Barack Obama: Well, we will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will give them a new assignment and that is to bring our troops home in a careful, responsible way, but to end this occupation in Iraq. I will call in my Secretary of State and initiate the diplomacy that's needed to make sure that exit is accompanied by negotiations between the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

Bush already started this process of withdrawal before he left office.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Do you believe Bush would have kept his word if in some hypothetical world he would have been Pres for another 4 years? I don't.

wow that was a dumb argument. Is any prez required to "keep his word" on plans that extend past his presidency? Knowing full well that new pres/congress can pretty much throw those plans out the window if they so please?

That doesnt mean he cant at least lay the plans out, and let the new prez keep/modify them as s/he wishes

Kennedy said we would land a man on the moon before the end of the 60's, which meant (even had he served a full 8 years) it would likely (and was) completed after he [would have] left office.

Ronald Reagan said we'd land a man on Mars by 2020, a lot of the completion of that is and was way out of his hands.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Do you believe Bush would have kept his word if in some hypothetical world he would have been Pres for another 4 years? I don't.

wow that was a dumb argument. Is any prez required to "keep his word" on plans that extend past his presidency? Knowing full well that new pres/congress can pretty much throw those plans out the window if they so please?

That doesnt mean he cant at least lay the plans out, and let the new prez keep/modify them as s/he wishes

Kennedy said we would land a man on the moon before the end of the 60's, which meant (even had he served a full 8 years) it would likely (and was) completed after he [would have] left office.

Ronald Reagan said we'd land a man on Mars by 2020, a lot of the completion of that is and was way out of his hands.

It is really easy to make a bunch of plans and pass the buck. Talk and rough drafts for plans that you will not take any part in executing is cheap. His previous actions do not fill me with confidence so in the hypothetical scenario that I laid out for you should he still be president today and for the next 4 years I just wouldn't trust him.

I do trust Obama though and give his words more credit at least for the time being.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Brovane

Originally posted by: Aimster
Roland Martin: If you are elected what is the very first thing that you focus on as Commander in Chief of this country?

Barack Obama: Well, we will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will give them a new assignment and that is to bring our troops home in a careful, responsible way, but to end this occupation in Iraq. I will call in my Secretary of State and initiate the diplomacy that's needed to make sure that exit is accompanied by negotiations between the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

Bush already started this process of withdrawal before he left office.

yea he already agreed to be out by 2011, which is what everyone wanted him to do. the date was decided both iraqis and us military as a responsible target. citing that advice, bush agreed to it. i dont see anything wrong here.

BHO just needs to keep his ears peeled on the matter and do what he can to get the process moved along responsibly and without careless haste. I think we are well on our way to getting out of that place.