Obama and Iraq: Copout?

[VTXDave]

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4B05IW20081201

President-elect Barack Obama said on Monday he believed U.S. combat troops should leave Iraq within 16 months of his taking office but he would listen to advice from military commanders. "I believe that 16 months is the right timeframe but, as I've said consistently, I will listen to the recommendations of my commanders,"

And what if his commanders recommend a lengthier stay, hmm?

 

[Pot Is Yummy]

I dont wanna be a douche or nothin here, but Obamas is quite obviously going to be murdered by supremacists of some sort.

 

[natrone23]

He will listen to them, but the decision ultimately comes down to Commander in Chief Obama, I'm sure Gen. Jones will also offer advice

 

[Jonus]

Gen. Petraeus or whatever his name is, was set on the pullout anyways which is why he had been negotiating deals with all the various warlords in Iraq, paying off who needs to be paid off. Thats a dead set sign theyre on the pullout. Obama would be an idiot not to listen to the Generals on the ground....(apologeez for conjuring up images of Dumblefool Bush again with the idiot comment).

 

[needhelp]

Obama will not be murdered for the simple fact...he is ONE OF THEM.... he is a politician, that wouldn't be President of today without the cooperation of the higher elites of the world.... basically... if you won't be a puppet, you won't be President... Bush proved that to us back in 2000... the office can be stolen in front of the worlds face and no one can do anything about it.... he did it, laughed at us for 8 years and not getting charged for war crimes... since the war did start with a lie and without the cooperation of certain countries of the UN... which makes it even more laughable... it was all part of the plan....

 

[Big P]

why dont we pull out of South Korea and Germany guys?


those wars been over for years too.



We wont pull out of Germany cuz we gotta keep the Russians in Check so they dont take over thier neighbors again

We wont pull out of South korea cuz we gotta keep the North Koreans in Check so they dont take over thier neighbors again

We wont pull out of Iraq cuz we gotta keep the Iranians in Check so they dont take over thier neighbors again



so to me its like having little police stations of american soldiers all over the globe.

one in Europe, One in Asia and now thank god one in the Middle East, so Business People like me can invest and do Business in the region without having to worry about the insaniacs destroying prosparity in this area which is a booming region of earth that purchases monstrous amounts of American goods and services

 

[Big P]

All the election stuff aside, im so glad to see how Obama will be ruling


hes as very smart guy. Im glad I was so wrong about him


cant wait to see more of what hes got

I dont think anyone will try to kill him, hes too cool & likable so it will greatly reduce the number of threats agaisnt him leaving any threats to probably be too unsofisticated to pull anything like that even close to off.

 

[natrone23]

We wont pull out of Iraq cuz we gotta keep the Iranians in Check so they dont take over thier neighbors again

Iran has never invaded another country, you may be thinking of the Iraq/Iran war in the 80's when Saddam attacked Iran

 

[westmich]

On Iraq, Obama might be the luckiest politician alive. Iraq passed a "Forces" agreement, after he was elected but before he takes office, that requires our forces to be out of all cities by June and out of the country by 2011 regardless of conditions on the ground. Even the staunchest neo-con isn't going to leave our forces in beyond the date that the elected government of Iraq sets. Obama gets to have his cake and eat it too.

 

[Big P]

Iran has never invaded another country, you may be thinking of the Iraq/Iran war in the 80's when Saddam attacked Iran

actually I was talking about how Iran has taken over Lebanon through its puppet sidekick Syria and infultrated its Iranian Hezbulla forces through that occupied nation and assainated any Lebanese patriots that oppose them

Iran is a great destablising force in the region which left unchecked will destroy this area with its greed and impirialism untilizing the general populus' hate for Isreal as a pretext


lebanon is where my Father was born and raised and I have family living there, its such a sad shame that they are basically ruled by the other larger countries around them and used as a patsy country to fight isreals occupation against the palistinians by occuping this country in the very same way. What a bunch of lieing Hypocrates huh


it used to be a beautiful place. For the life of me I dont understand why they cant have lebonese freedom fighters in there to repell the Foriegn forces of Syria and Iran from thier lands.

Its plainly Ironic that so much attention is placed Isreals oppression and take over of the Palistinians but yet no one talks about the Humilition of the Lebonese nation its people and its once free and open society that was hailed as the paris of the middle east in it hayday before the pigs of the world destroyed it. By hay I guess thats the only reason I reside in America now. had to leave the land where my Grandfather died

 

[medicineman]

so to me its like having little police stations of american soldiers all over the globe.
one in Europe, One in Asia and now thank god one in the Middle East, so Business People like me can invest and do Business in the region without having to worry about the insaniacs destroying prosparity in this area which is a booming region of earth that purchases monstrous amounts of American goods and services

Without knowing it, you have summed up American foriegn policy. To put little (Or Big) police stations all over the world so Business can get done, the plutocracy in action.

 

[Big P]

so to me its like having little police stations of american soldiers all over the globe.
one in Europe, One in Asia and now thank god one in the Middle East, so Business People like me can invest and do Business in the region without having to worry about the insaniacs destroying prosparity in this area which is a booming region of earth that purchases monstrous amounts of American goods and services

Without knowing it, you have summed up American foriegn policy. To put little (Or Big) police stations all over the world so Business can get done, the plutocracy in action.

Yes prosparity is a good thing medi, rather than have dictators mucking up job growth in the middle east and prosparity of this area that benifits the world market most will prefer i nice safe environment where men can feed their children with honest jobs and send them to school.


i mean what you saying is hey police stations in america suck cuz they allow walmart to not get robbed, thereby enabling them to have a business which produces countless jobs and wealth to provide food and shelter for humans

 

[Big P]

On Iraq, Obama might be the luckiest politician alive. Iraq passed a "Forces" agreement, after he was elected but before he takes office, that requires our forces to be out of all cities by June and out of the country by 2011 regardless of conditions on the ground. Even the staunchest neo-con isn't going to leave our forces in beyond the date that the elected government of Iraq sets. Obama gets to have his cake and eat it too.

You dont really think they are leaving for real do you? sure most of the troops will go home......but


Opening soon in Baghdad: Largest U.S. embassy in the world with restaurants, 619 apartments

— A Kuwait contractor has concluded the construction of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

On April 14, the State Department issued a certificate of acceptance for the 104-acre, 27 building compound, Middle East Newsline reported.

The $474 million facility is the largest U.S. embassy in the world, with 619 apartments for staffers as well as restaurants, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, volleyball court, and indoor Olympic-size swimming pool.



After years of delay, First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting completed the design and construction of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad The project, plagued by faulty construction and scandal, was certified by the State Department and independent consultants.

"This is a remarkable accomplishment for our company and for the thousands of individuals whose hard work has made it possible," First Kuwaiti managing director Wadih Al Absi said. "We are proud of our record of achievement in Iraq and regard the completion of the new U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad as an absolute success."


The company, which hired 23 U.S. subcontractors, said the project was completed nearly two years beyond schedule. The project was said to have stayed within its original budget of $474 million.

Executives said prior to construction, First Kuwaiti cleared the embassy site of buildings, hidden tunnels and bunkers, landmines and unexploded ordnance. They said supplies of 75,000 tons of cement and 28,000 tons of steel were hampered by military closure of the road to the embassy site. The embassy construction site itself is at times the target of direct rocket and mortar attacks. "First Kuwaiti completed this project under conditions that none of us anticipated," Al Absi said.

Kuwait which hosts about 15,000 U.S. troops, has been given the bulk of U.S. military in Iraq contracts to foreign firms. Executives said the sheikdom facilitated the U.S. embassy contract by serving as a conduit for workers and material.

 

[westmich]

Sorry, Big P, but I missed your point. They are building an embassy, not a base. Sure there will be Marines stationed there to protect the embassy, but it is not a base of military operations.

 

[medicineman]

Yes prosparity is a good thing medi, rather than have dictators mucking up job growth in the middle east and prosparity of this area that benifits the world market most will prefer i nice safe environment where men can feed their children with honest jobs and send them to school.


i mean what you saying is hey police stations in america suck cuz they allow walmart to not get robbed, thereby enabling them to have a business which produces countless jobs and wealth to provide food and shelter for humans

No big P, what I'm saying is the Military is used to keep control in foriegn lands for the american corporations. That in my view is evil shit. And BTW, we the taxpayer pay for their protection, sick sick sick. Also, you must admit, you have a vested interest in the area, so getting an unbiased view from you is an impossibility.

 

[natrone23]

Iran is a great destablising force in the region which left unchecked will destroy this area with its greed and impirialism

I think you got Iran and the U.S mixed up (Imperilism and greed lol), you talk about Irans greed and in the same breath speak of Americans dying in Iraq so you can make more money

 

[Big P]

I think you got Iran and the U.S mixed up (Imperilism and greed lol), you talk about Irans greed and in the same breath speak of Americans dying in Iraq so you can make more money

no what you are not thinking of is, prosperity for the nation of Iraq. I employ Iraqis, and they are paid more money than they could have ever dreamed of before.

Iraqi economy is booming


Lebanese economy not so much


the difference?

greedy imperial Iranian & Syrian occupation forces


what you have in Iraq is Americans getting rid of the greedy and corrupt & dangerous Iraqi government replacing it with a government voted in by the people and investing in this country for Mutual benefit, then leaving it to prosper and only doing legal mutually beneficial business with this country by consent


now picture these countries as your neighbors in next door houses:

whom would you wanna become friends with, your wealthy neighbor America who got rid of your asshole stepdad that was beating you up and spending all you mothers money on liquor

and then got you a job with their company so your mom isn't worrying about the bills so much, then gave you the keys to your house back so you can proudly call it your own again and run it proudly leaving your stepfathers reign a distant memory.

Are you going to spit in your new friends face now if he asks you to plug an extension cord to your wall outlet when his power goes out for $20 fee?

even if you say no to this request, your new friend isn't going to even re-nig on all the kind things they have done for you.

Sure your neighbor benefited too from helping you of coarse he did. maybe your neighbor America feels safer now and has a cool friend to ask to buy power from if the power goes out but big deal, does that make them dicks? or are they still good friends, that both parties can benefit from?


or would you rather be friends with Iran, that gives your step dad switches and such to beat you up more, then takes away your garden in your back yard so you must rely souly on your stepdad for feeding you? that way he will control you so your neighbor Iran can use you, your house and you mother as a patsy. for their ungodly desires, without asking, just taking. your little brother got a problem with it, your little brother dies. simple.




maybe its cuz you guys only see the narrow view of only your government, maybe you know it so well that you don't really know what real misery is, what real oppression is, what real greed is.

what you see is here, from the American gov, if anything bad the American gov does, it happens to you with tiny little kid gloves compared to the real bad guys, and they would be prosecuted if these crimes proved and the American culprits jailed.

but for some reason the backwards blame goes on. Blame the coolest and nicest country, not the most assholish and meanest.

I think you guys do this cuz you only see & experience your gov, and you have nothing to compare it to


you need to experience other worlds, but I bet your afraid to, I know I have had my fill, and I don't ever really like stepping out of this country, ever.

anyway, what I speak is truth and logic.


and im tired of the lies and the irrational

 

[ElBarto]

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4B05IW20081201
And what if his commanders recommend a lengthier stay, hmm?

What if indeed?

Gates: Military Looks To Accelerate Iraq Pullout, Shut Down Guantanamo

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates signaled a willingness to forge ahead with two key priorities for the incoming Obama administration: accelerating the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

As the only Republican Cabinet member asked to stay on by President-elect Barack Obama, Gates told reporters Tuesday that military commanders are looking at ways to more quickly pull troops out of Iraq in light of the 16-month timetable that was a centerpiece of the Democrat's campaign.

He also said it will be a high priority to work with the new Congress on legislation that will enable the U.S. to close the detention center at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, where about 250 terrorism suspects are still being held.

More...​

 

[ElBarto]

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4B05IW20081201
And what if his commanders recommend a lengthier stay, hmm?

What if indeed?

General David Petraeus deployed overwhelming force when he briefed Barack Obama and two other Senators in Baghdad last July. He knew Obama favored a 16-month timetable for the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Iraq, and he wanted to make the strongest possible case against it. And so, after he had presented an array of maps and charts and PowerPoint slides describing the current situation on the ground in great detail, Petraeus closed with a vigorous plea for "maximum flexibility" going forward.

Obama had a choice at that moment. He could thank Petraeus for the briefing and promise to take his views "under advisement." Or he could tell Petraeus what he really thought, a potentially contentious course of action — especially with a general not used to being confronted. Obama chose to speak his mind. "You know, if I were in your shoes, I would be making the exact same argument," he began. "Your job is to succeed in Iraq on as favorable terms as we can get. But my job as a potential Commander in Chief is to view your counsel and interests through the prism of our overall national security." Obama talked about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the financial costs of the occupation of Iraq, the stress it was putting on the military.

A "spirited" conversation ensued, one person who was in the room told me. "It wasn't a perfunctory recitation of talking points. They were arguing their respective positions, in a respectful way."

More...​

Obama's approach seems quite a bit different from his predecessor, who always seemed to be using the generals for political cover for his own disastrous policies.

 

[Big P]

here here obama!!! three cheers for our President!!!


so far so good