pensacola_niceman

To leave Iraq, and then come back at a later time, would essentially amount to reinvading the country and starting from scratch. You probably have no idea how much infrastructure is here now that the Coalition forces created. I am here an I DO know. I can't even guess how many billions of dollars have been poured into Camp Victory where I am now. This base is far from a collection of tents that you could just "pick up and leave." I'm the chief engineer for 3 major power plant projects at military bases in Iraq. We're not putting this in under the assumption that the US will leave Iraq inside a year.

I think that all the things we are doing to recontruct Iraq - not just military bases, but schools and hospital too, would be totally lost if the coalition were to leave right now. I don't believe the Iraqi army is strong enough to prevent total mayhem and civil war right now. I envision leaving all the positive work we've accomplished to the Iraqi people when it is indeed time to leave.

Were we right in invading Iraq in the first place? No, I don't think so. However, the fact remains that we are here now. To suddenly pull would be devasting on many levels. I think the Iraqi people would suffer the most.

I am absolutely convinced that if America were to pull out now, the average (and innocent) Iraqis will suffer a hell worse than death.

nuttyjoe

I agree with you, Mike. I like the fact that McCain disassociated himself from the Cunningham fiasco. Cunningham was obviously trying to scare America by associating Obama with Saddam Hussein- because of the similarity in the names. I give McCain kudos for that.
I also agree with FX. The Obama steamroller will not be stopped. Nothing Clinton has said or done lately will change the 11 straight losses; or prevent any more. But I also agree that Tuesday will be the day of reckoning. I think if she loses 2 of the 4 states; you will see her supporters jumping ship quickly to Obama.
The superdelegates that everyone is talking about are politicians also. Their gravy train is in doing what their constituencies want. Some have already jumped on the Obama bandwagon, more will jump after Tuesday.

nuttyjoe

And this is exactly why I think Obama will win. As PN stated, we have poured billions and billions of dollars into Iraq. Is is starting to make a difference for the better? I am not in any position to make that judgment; so I'll take PN at his word that he sees improvent.
Now for the $64,000 question-could we have accomplished this without war? Isn't this what our politicians are supposed to do?
I think McCain's slip of the tongue last week is quite telling. Yes, if loses his bid for the Presidency, it will be because of Iraq; and our folly of invading in the first place. Hillary will be the first to really taste the poison of this foolish decision on Tuesday.

pensacola_niceman

I will agree that we should have never invaded Iraq in the first place. However, the fact remains that we did. It's also a fact that just picking up and leaving isn't as simple as some people might think. We helped create the mess, and we can't leave until it's mostly cleaned up. We are DEFINITELY not ready to abandon Iraq right now!

To leave and "come back" if things don't work out is beyond stupid. I absolutely guarantee you that if we were to leave, and then return, the bloodshed would be massive. I am absolutely certain that if we left now, the need to return would become blatantly obvious in a very short time.

fxashun

My thoughts exactly.

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highway80west

Now that the Iranian president has visited Iraq, I wonder what kind of relationship the two countries will have?

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

pensacola_niceman

He was here alright. The gates to the base where closed for several hours when he arrived on Saturday. I had to wait until later in the day to go outside the base and buy some Crown Royal and sneak it back on the base.

highway80west

Sneaking it back to the base, eh? Bad boy!!

Really, I do wonder if relations between the two countries can be better than before. I know there are memories of that war they had in the 1980's. Not that if it would bring stability to the region and perhaps stifle Al Qaeda.

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

nuttyjoe

Now; here is another folly of America's- getting involved in the politics of countries and peoples that we have no clue of how they operate.
Does anybody remember that America supported Saddam Hussein in the Iran/Iraq war? This is why we in America must learn that it is not our place in the world to dictate how other sovereign nations govern themselves! Rather, we just simply need to assess our needs in the area involved; and base our strategic and operational outlook from there.
I actually liked McCain- until he made the foolish remark of America being in Iraq for another 100 years. Does he (with all his experience) not realize that it costs money-lots of it-to deploy American troops overseas? If we take the example that the Democrats Obama and Clinton use that it is costing about 12 million dollars per month to support our troops now there; just how much more money will America pay for something we do not get anything back from? Look at our economy now before you answer that. We weren't even smart enough to get a quid pro quo from the provisional government in Iraq giving us preferential oil prices at least while our forces are there!
How does your financial outlook feel now?

highway80west

Like trying to cut a magician's rope - only that it extends instead.

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105