Early Happy Holidays to our men and women in uniform -- Iraq is "over"

[MGMG8GT]

An early bit of good news. Looks like we are pulling all US troops from Iraq by the end of the year. I know some will probably end up in Afghanistan, but for those coming home -- welcome and thanks for everything you do for us.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44990594.../#.TqGmuN4r2dA

[wnt2gofst]

To bad Obama is behind the power curve. My unit is the last unit in Iraq. Our Battalion will be the last ones out. With exception of few higher ups like Generals and what not. But we are the last combat troops on ground. We have known for a year that every one had to be out by DEC 31st.

[Slizzo]

Good to hear that those troops will be out of Iraq, however I can't help but think history will repeat itself in that country. Some other crazy nutjob will seize power in an unstable country, and build it back up twice as bad as before.

With all the good that I had seen while I was there, there was just too much bad (and even worse, indifference) mixed in to be a good thing.

That said, I wish the Afghan Nat'l Army was in good enough shape to take things over there as well.

[wnt2gofst]

Afgan is coming next. We are suppose be out of there 2014. This is what we just got Briefed by one the Div. CSGM and 3 Star Generals.





On the other side Iraq will crumble when we leave. To much corruption, greed, croaked mofo's here. It will be a terrorist hot bed 10 fold.

[PaFromFL]

Iraq was created when irresponsible British politicians drew arbitrary lines on maps. Saddam Hussein postponed the breakup of Iraq just like Marshall Tito postponed the breakup of Yugoslavia. Trying to keep Iraq intact is pointless. The best Iraq can hope for is some kind of Canada/Quebec solution.

[laserred]

Sounds great on paper, but pulling them across the border into Saudi Arabia or Bahrain doesn't really count in my book. I spent way too much time of my late teens and early 20s staring at "The Ditch" and the coast of the Arabian Peninsula to buy the "coming home" pitch. My worse fear is that the troops are getting a temporary relief and then magically there will be an "event" that gets us into Iran. That seems to be very, very bad idea. I especially hate election years, they have twice the empty promises of off years.

Welcome home! For however long that is....

[travis gore]

bad idea for us to leave but there is really nothing we can do about it. We will be back is the sad thing. Welcome home to the troops.

[Panzer Leader]

Travis, sad to say you are right. It has already started, the Turks and Kurds are going at it, and Iran is prepared to support their factions in Iraq. Overall, the U.S. Military did an outstanding job. Nation building, by far, can be the hardest part of an operation. Come home my Brothers and Sisters with your heads held high. Never forget our fallen and wounded comrades.

[laserred]

Panzer, while I appreciate and personally know the sacrifices made by our armed forces, I think it can safely be said that the Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves these days. Nation building, "onto" other nations, would have been blasphemy, especially considering we are doing this by force. Think about it- every major conflict our nation was involved in for its first 100 years was fought here, on our soil (including the War between the States), in defense of our freedoms, land, and families; not as an offensive weapon to bend and break other countries to conform to "our" imperial will. While I give my respects to the families who lost family members serving over there, two main things make me sick to my stomach:
1. Their deaths were unnecessary; "our" government is using our troops for padding the private pockets of political cronies, and
2. "Our" government will continue to fabricate reasons to justify invading foreign, Sovereign countries in the name of "democracy".

Check out what "democracy" is bringing to Libya:
http://www.rense.com/general94/carving.htm

Maybe if we left these other countries alone, didn't impose our will and/or financial restrictions on them, and didn't fund their mortal enemies with our money, weapons, and blind eye to their human rights violations, they wouldn't even waste their time trying to kill us back? Just a thought.



I sincerely hope all our troops get to come home and stay home, with their families and loved ones.

[wnt2gofst]

We will be out of Iraq. Also the Army is doing a major over haul again. Just like they do after every major war. They plan to cut 50,000 soldiers by the next fiscal year. OCT1st. Tightening standards back up. Which in the long run is good for the Army as a whole.

Sad part when the Leaders of our Nation pick a new place to go. We will bend the standards again and the Army will go to shit again. As they will let any one in the military again.


Also they are talks of 100 or so soldiers going to Africa. Where from there will be any ones guess. Libya is mine.