What should the US do now about Iraq?

[GenMarshall]

Get out of Iraq now!

 

[Irish Caesar]

I don't have any sorts of suggestions to offer, but just to compare:

The US occupation of it's OWN COUNTRY lasted 12 years after the end of the Civil War. By any account, reconstruction was a miserable failure. It wasn't until 99 years later that Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. I'd say that in general, it's very nice here now, but there were terrorist attacks all over the place for an awful long time during that 99-year span.

I'd say, from what I've heard from US troops in Iraq, that progress is being made, and I would consider myself cautiously optimistic. I can only hope that the government isn't too nearsighted on this issue, but nearsightedness is often the price of a democratic government.

 

[Sanaz]

The only reasonable option the US really had and probably still has is to increase its troops levels in Iraq to some reasonable ratio of say 1 soldier to 10 - 20 local population, as Russians did in Chechnia, to impose basic law and start "rebuilding" from there. I strongly believe this would save a lot of Iraqi lives! The current strategy is just pathetic in every aspect!

The time for that has definitely passed. Having a strong coalition of many nations, and many US troops in place early, would have made all the difference. I still would not have supported it, but I would not have thought the idea compeltely moronic like th ecurrent execution of a flawed plan (Bush could have learned a lot from his dad). Today, this is not an option, because the coalition of the willing is long gone, and short of a draft there aren't enough US troops to do it. So the reconstruction is a fantasy (even when the funds for it aren't stolen), the support of the Iraqis, the US, and the world is long gone (not that there ever was much support, of course), and this is a failed mission. It is not about winning and losing, it's about honest evaluation of the possible reasons for staying even one more month. I'm obviously very biased here, but I don't think the US should occupy Iraq for even one more day.

 

[GermanRuler]

This is Vietnam all over again, get them out of there!

 

[puglover]

We got into Iraq and we should finish the job before leaving the weak little country to collapse and takeover. We should finish the job and make sure their government is secure before pulling out.

 

[MobBoss]

Being in the military I will speak to this. There will never be a total pull out of Iraq, unless it is by request of the current Iraqi government. We will probably have a brigade or two of troops (20k or so) in that country for the next decade.

This will never be Vietnam all over again. Even most Democrats realizet that and can plainly see a longer pullout is better in this case.

Freedom isnt free. Let the troops over there now finish their job and then come home when the mission to secure the country and have the Iraqis take over is complete. We have a volunteer military...no one is over there that didnt volunteer to do that job. Lets get out of the way and let them do it.

 

[GenMarshall]

This will never be Vietnam all over again. Even most Democrats realizet that and can plainly see a longer pullout is better in this case.

Sounds like Gulf War II is Vietnam part Deuce. Since they are fighting a borderless war and the Iraqis could eather be friendly or hostile. Much like in Vietnam

Freedom isnt free. Let the troops over there now finish their job and then come home when the mission to secure the country and have the Iraqis take over is complete. We have a volunteer military...no one is over there that didnt volunteer to do that job. Lets get out of the way and let them do it.

I doubt that this mission is a sucsess. Body counts are rising and there is no progress in their establisment of a government. Iraq has been a mess eversince Alexander the Great set foot in that region. I beleve we should pull our troops out and let the Iraqis fend for themselves.

 

[MobBoss]

Sounds like Gulf War II is Vietnam part Deuce.

As odd as it may sound, the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) is nothing similiar to Vietnam. The only real similiarity is the negativity towards trying to win the war. Honestly. Outiside of all the negative comments how are they similar?

Since they are fighting a borderless war and the Iraqis could eather be friendly or hostile. Much like in Vietnam

Its not a borderless war. The majority of cities in Iraq, especially in the South, do not have any insurgent activity at all. There is activity in Baghdad, but thats because its easier to hide out in a city of millions. The vast majority of Iraqis are not hostile at all, and are in fact grateful for a lot of what we are doing for them.

I doubt that this mission is a sucsess.

In strict military terms its an unqualified success. Our casualties are nothing in compared with the numbers that the enemy has lost. He has been totally defeated on the field of battle and now can only strike us by terrorist activity. He dares not show himself otherwise.

Body counts are rising and there is no progress in their establisment of a government.

Thats where you are wrong. They have had two elections with another one coming soon. Hell, compared to our own revolutionary war and how long it took us, the new Iraqi government is a huge success.

Iraq has been a mess eversince Alexander the Great set foot in that region.

Actually, ancient Babylon surrendered to Alexander - he didnt have to fight a battle for it at all.

I beleve we should pull our troops out and let the Iraqis fend for themselves.

I think if we did that, it really would be Vietnam II and the same tragic result would occur. Pulling out totally is not the correct answer and would only send our enemies a message of weakness.

 

[De Lorimier]

(...) Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)

I think you mean Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL).

 

[MobBoss]

I think you mean Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL).

No. I didnt. And FYI, I really havent seen my gas prices go down to all that Iraqi oil I was promised...dang.

 

[Insane_Panda]

Stay the course. What more can we do? If America pulls out, Iraq will only end up far worse than it ever was under Saddam.

 

[Imaginos]

In the lastest issue of Time magazine here in Asia (12th December issue), the former prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, was asked about how serious the threat of radical Islam is today. But I think his reply is also relevant to the question posed in this thread.
His reply was, that America had to stay and win the fight over the terrorists.
Or else.

"This battle is going to be won or lost in the Middle East.The problem in Iraq is very grave. If the jihadists win there, I'm in trouble here. [Their attitude will be]: We've beaten the Russians in Afghanistan, we've beaten the Americans and the coalition in Iraq. There's nothing we cannot do. We can fix South-east Asia too. There will be such a surge of confidence for all jihadists. The US must be seen -if not to have prevailed or to have created a democratic Iraq- to at least have denied the jihardists a victory. Because otherwise the consequences for America and the world are horrendous"