Pull Out of Iraq!!

The OP puts their view across that the insurgency in Iraq has been defeated, a view that is not only wrong, but flies in the face of the reality on the ground.


The US Military, unable to defeat the Sunni element of the insurgency in it's various forms since 2003, have been forced to come to terms with the insurgents, and allow them to run their own neighbourhoods and towns.


US military commanders and soldiers in the field have been forced to swallow their pride, their knowledge that these insurgents have not only defeated them militarily and in tactics, but also the knowledge that some of these insurgents they must now deal with as per community relations have wounded and killed their fellow soldiers, a demoralising experience that adds to the sense of debacle, of defeat.


The Sunni insurgents, victorious, are now being armed by the Americans to wage war on 'Al Qaeda.' and the Shia Militias.


Arms that no doubt, unless the US form an alliance with the Sunnis to turn out the Iraqi Shia-backed 'Government' will once again be turned once again on the US occupiers, in a repeat of Afghanistan circa 1980's coming back to haunt the US circa 2001.


Because the sunni insurgents still regard the US military as the occupier of their country, and they will still regard the US military as the enemy accordingly.


In regards to the Shia insurgents, well, we saw the Iraqi Army ordered to assault Basra, and what resulted was, the vast number of the Iraqi Army handing in their weapons to clerics, and announcing they would not take up arms against their fellow Iraqis, and the remainder of the Iraqi Army who did not were routed by the Shia Insurgents.


Not even a joint US-UK military operation in Basra could salvage a victory over the Shia Militias.


The result? An assault on the Sadr City area of Baghdad by US-Iraqi forces that killed large amounts of civillians, but failed to destroy the Shia Militias.


Demoralising continously for the US military not only for the lack of victory, but for knowing the Iraqi military can do no better.



'Al Qaeda in Iraq' is marginalised, not by anything the US military have done, but rather by their own actions, the killing of Shias and Sunnis alike in indiscriminate manner has done much to alienate Al Qaeda from any support base save for the most militant of Sunni areas.


But it's by no means down and out, and the continued US occupation of Iraq and the troubles and injustices in other areas of the world which incense Muslims contributes to any recruiting drive 'Al Qaeda' has.


In Afghanistan, the Taleban, 'Al Qaeda' and other Afghans opposed to the foreign occupation of their lands have regrouped, and have bolstered numbers from recruitment after the initial US led invasion and continue to harrass the occupiers and anyone or thing associated with it, learning new and more effective tactics from studying the Iraqi insurgency, which breathed new life into their own.



Nearly 100 British soldiers have died in Afghanistan, and regulary, we see Kabul the subject of bombings and attacks by those opposed to the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.


The US has lost in Iraq, because it has failed to crush the insurgency that opposes them, has not won hearts and minds among the Iraqis, and it could be said that the US lost the moment it invaded. All this as a result, has failed to consolidate the Iraqi 'Government' who have members who are, or have close ties to the Shia Militias the US soldiers are fighting, leading to an unending, unwinnable war, where the side you support is the side you also happen to be fighting, and this qualifies for the Shia insurgents and Sunni insurgents as I have explained.


The more the US fights the insurgency and stays, the more and more the Iraqis will sign up to the insurgency.


This also qualifies for Al Qaeda, who will bolster numbers by fighting the US also.



The US is not winning in Afghanistan, because it has failed to crush the insurgency that opposes them after the initial shock and awe, by that I mean not setting out to win hearts and minds among the Iraqis, and it could be said that the US lost the moment it invaded.


The US has opened itself to attack on it's soil by invading Afghanistan and Iraq, and has only avoided being attacked becase those who do wish to attack find it much easier to shoot at, or blow up US soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan instead.


But eventually, and more and more, by the US occupations of these countries, the US ever more endangers itself to an attack at home.


The question is, do you want the soldiers whose function is to protect your country, to be stranded in a country overseas, and being used as a tool of imperialist expansionism and geopolitical positioning and energy securement, fighting insurgencies and losing, suffering casualties, or do you want them at home, ready to defend?


The US lost the war in Iraq, and should pull out. It's making matters worse for itself by the day, and looks weak, while creating more enemies. The sooner it pulls out and changes it's foreign policy outlook, the sooner it can build on opportunities to build bridges and secure relative peace for itself.







[edit on 2-6-2008 by Regensturm]