Today, CNN reported the DoD says it is formulating plans to start withdrawing from Iraq In December. No mention of the rate of withdrawal. That’s crucial. Those of you who recall Nixon and Vietnam will remember his withdrawal schedule took 4 years to get the last man out. Never mind who was to be the last man to die there.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the US will have spent over $500 billion in Iraq by 2009, at present levels. The Administration carries this as an “Off Budget” item. This is by unspoken and mutual consent of Congress, at least the GOP majority that controls both chambers of Congress.

By being an “Off Budget” item, the Congress is neither required to hold pre-authorization hearings nor is it obliged to perform oversight hearings after the fact. Three months ago, internal DoD auditors wrote off $1.1 billion of Iraq funding as “otherwise unaccounted for.” Which is the equal of saying missing, lost or stolen. We just don’t know. But it is gone. This is thievery on a grand scale and Iraq rings of Vietnam in more ways than one!

“Stay the course!” The GOP mantra. No end in sight. “For decades” VP Cheney said at least once. What was planned by the Oval Office and VP Cheney to be the opening sojourn on a grand excursion spreading democracy around the world, beginning with the March 18, 2001 preemptive war in Iraq has gone sour. The US and worse, its coalition of the willing paid for in US dollars, is growing weary. Note we offered Turkey first $6 billion then $12 billion to join us - have you forgotten that?

Have you noticed the ‘so-called’ Coalition Forces are almost never in harms way? Do you think that is an accident? Or do you think the Pentagon has promised American GIs would do the “heavy lifting” in Iraq? We’d assign the coalition forces safe duty, to induce them to “go along to get along?” Shouldn’t this kind of battlefield preference be a part of our public debate on the merits of the War? Should not American soldiers and their families know they are purposely placed into higher risk places? How much is the combat pay for a PFC?

So how many American GIs are dead as of today? I don’t know. There is nothing I can do about it. The Administration does not seem too much concerned one way or the other. They ban photographers at Dover AFB. Or photos taken anywhere along the way back home for the dead in flag draped coffins. Neither Bush43 nor VP Cheney attend GI funerals. You leave home in a parade and a band, but if you die, you return in a plane in secret. Oops? Recall the San Diego mother who found her dead GI son’s body in a used shipping crate? DoD SOP or a snafu? It’s called Privatization!

It is 116 days until this falls election. (7/14/06) I was expecting to hear the Administration announce the “draw down” would begin around October 1, when Bush43 came on the tv and boasted we had killed Zarqawi. But the insurgency has got worse, not better as Bush43 indicated he expected. Q. Has Bush43 ever got anything right on this Iraqi thing? Y ___ N ___ .

You will recall Bush43 said it would be his successor who would order the American armed forces out of Iraq. Which by simple inference meant after January 20, 2009. What a promise! What a legacy! And we will have spent one half trillion borrowed dollars on a war which will have the same outcome the Vietnam War had. Nothing but the death, horror and destruction we left behind. No gain elsewhere to show for all the money and blood spent. And thousands of dead Americans, not to mention the 10s of 1000s of dead Iraqis. Which we call “collateral damage.”

Do you think the US will begin withdrawing our fighting soldiers this year?

Yes ___ No ___



[edit on 7/14/2006 by donwhite]

Can you please provide a CNN link.

Thanks

posted by sanctum
Can you please provide a CNN link.

Thanks

No. I just searched at CNN but I did not find a link. I'm not sure it was the theme of the story, but I believe it was mentioned in a story. I only “listen” to CNN. If I hear it again, I'll report back.

You ever think that the reason coalition forces are "never in harms way" is because there are fewer of them? U.S. soldiers probably have the higher risk positions simply because we have more manpower and firepower to do the "heavy lifting". Nothing surprising there. It makes logistical sense. We do have the world's largest standing military, after all. It does not make the contribution of the coalition forces less. In fact, politically as well as militarily speaking, our allies actually risked alot more on this fools errand than we have.

But non U.S. forces have suffered casualties to you know. They have had their share.

Anyway, see if you can find a link because I really hope they are gonna start withdrawing.