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Pentagon's second thoughts on Iraq withdrawal

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posted on Apr, 10 2011 @ 08:24 PM
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Eight months shy of its deadline for pulling the last American soldier from Iraq and closing the door on an 8-year war, the Pentagon is having second thoughts.



Reluctant to say it publicly, officials fear a final pullout in December could create a security vacuum, offering an opportunity for power grabs by antagonists in an unresolved and simmering Arab-Kurd dispute, a weakened but still active al-Qaida or even an adventurous neighbor such as Iran.



The U.S. wants to keep perhaps several thousand troops in Iraq, not to engage in combat but to guard against an unraveling of a still-fragile peace.

msnbc.com

Iran, the Kurds, and al-Qaida, oh my!
We are never leaving that country.

I'm not sure what "several" means in this case, but I'd bet it's more than double "a few".
And then of course, the private army. How long will we be funding XE, or whoever?



posted on Apr, 10 2011 @ 08:26 PM
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Is this simply because we haven't succeeded in getting the right "puppets" into government there,
or something deeper?

I can't imagine this is any good for Obama's fragile re-election efforts, so what could the reasoning be?



posted on Apr, 10 2011 @ 08:33 PM
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No, we need someone on the ground protecting the oil assets and offices.
The absolute first ones to be caught, tried and killed will be anyone working for western oil firms.
Rebels/Alqeada(if they exist)/Iran do not care for Corporate punishment.

I tell you what, I sure as sugar would not want to be one of those unfortunate few left behind to guard and provide security.

Its like sending a moth into an ants nest. No matter how strong it is, the large number of ants will overpower it.



posted on Apr, 10 2011 @ 08:52 PM
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reply to post by Agit8dChop
 




No, we need someone on the ground protecting the oil assets and offices.
The absolute first ones to be caught, tried and killed will be anyone working for western oil firms.


I agree, and while I wish it weren't a necessity, the idea of pulling out entirely is setting the stage for a lot of old scores to be settled, brutally.

What I get angry with is the doublespeak from politicians, and the willingness to continue to jump into these situations (at all?) without a clear, realistic exit strategy.

And the people just keep on falling for the words.

Hint hint: No boots on the ground?

Wasn't our (the U.S.) "Shock and Awe" campaign sold as 3 months, in and out, tops?
Off to do research before I'm called out on that.



posted on Apr, 10 2011 @ 09:08 PM
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reply to post by Oaktree
 


A few quotes from the "early days".



Cheney, 12/18/2005
"CHENEY: My own judgment based on my time as secretary of Defense, and having operated in this area in the past, I'm confident that our troops will be successful, and I think it'll go relatively quickly, but we can't...

SCHIEFFER: Weeks?
CHENEY: ...we can't count on that.
SCHIEFFER: Months?
CHENEY: Weeks rather than months"

Source



Rumsfeld, 2/7/2003. "It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months."

Source




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