Bush pulling 8,000 troops out of Iraq

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2001
Bush pulling 8,000 troops out of Iraq
58
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 10:24am

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcWJu9bbzrJZ7uNHjvMn0BuTGqHQD933641O3


 


Normnally I wouldn't post a newpapaer link but I heard this on the way back form taking my hubby to work.

  Photobucket

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 11:04am
I watched the speech this morning. We can come home with honor this time. God bless America.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 11:21am

Suuuuure. 8,000 are coming home. 140,000 are still there. In terms of percentages, that would be roughly 5.4% of the troops returning. Whoopty dooh dah.

When they all come home, those who have served with integrity and courage will certainly do so with honor, whatever their inner demons may have been. Unless YOU personally are one of the returning troops, the honor won't be yours, nor will it be ours. And there sure won't be any honor attached to the ninnies who sent them into Iraq without paying any heed to the military basics of the Powell Doctrine.

The country which sheltered the planners and perpetrators of 9/11 is seeing more and more signs that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are resurrecting old power structures. How "honorable" is that?

edited to remove a misplaced article

Gettingahandle


Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.


Facts stifle the will, hobble conviction.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 11:23am

People are still dying, the Maliki government still isn't capable of handling things on its own. Basic services are still not restored to pre-war levels in many places. Iraq's government remains closely tied to that of Iran.

Please describe for me what honor exists from coming home today which wouldn't have existed two years ago?

Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 12:10pm

The fact that they are coming home because they are not needed any more is honorable. They are not needed anymore because we are realizing success in our efforts. If he had cut and run, and left them before they could handle some of the work (like the Demorats wanted), we would not be able to come home in honor.

We are not finished, but are moving in the right direction.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 12:22pm
Nice. I love it when people who have been demanding something start to get it and instead of applauding or being grateful, they're upset that they're not getting more faster.

--


martinisnsushi - living the good life since 1963

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martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 2:14pm

Considering that:
~Bush sent all the troops in
~They've accomplished every single goal he sold the U.S. public as the justification for war
~They, as a military force, cannot make Iraq into a democracy
~over 4,000 of them died there and tens of thousands more have been wounded
~Bush is taking credit where he far more deserves scorn and opprobrium

Gratitude and applause for a tiny percentage returning given the above? Oh my, I think not!

Gettingahandle


Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.


Facts stifle the will, hobble conviction.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 2:23pm

Needed for WHAT? They aren't coming home because Iraq is peaceful, or has a stable government, or isn't aligned with Iran. They're coming home because the Bush administration is literally forced by law to bring many of them home. He can always CHANGE the law by extending deployments, etc, but as it stands right now, many of those coming home are owed that by right.

And that still doesn't answer my previous question about what the difference would have been in terms of their "honor," had they come home two years ago. Is it your contention that troops are only due (or only achieve) honor when they are "no longer needed?" In that case, please define "no longer needed" in real-world terms, not "their commander said they could leave." - because he could have said that long ago.

Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 2:28pm

You wrote: I watched the speech this morning. We can come home with honor this time. God bless America.


iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 2:53pm
Can YOU explain to me what "honor" the troops have now that they wouldn't have had if they'd come home two years ago? Or, for that matter, in Vietnam? Those troops sacrificed and fought for their country. The honor is theirs, win, lose or draw - or even if the "game" is called on account of rain. It's theirs by right for volunteering, for serving, for sacrificing and for risking. Not for "winning" - as if I've heard a conservative be able to even DEFINE "winning" with regard to Iraq.

Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2008
Tue, 09-09-2008 - 2:55pm

I know it depresses liberals but we are succeeding in Iraq. President Bush also said that he was reducing the amount of time each troop is required to stay. We are making real progress, and the left is upset because we aren't turning and running immediately. He is reducing the number of troops by $8,000 now, and more when we can.

Here's what John McCain had to say:

Today’s announcement makes clear that the planned withdrawal of up to 8,000 troops is based, as it should be, on conditions on the ground and the advice of our military commanders in the field.

“Senator Obama is utterly confused by the progress in the war in Iraq. He has minimized the success of the surge in stabilizing Iraq, but today said the reductions in violence exceeded expectations. The surge has greatly brought down violence, but Senator Obama would still oppose it, even in retrospect.

“Today’s announcement stands in clear contrast to the reckless approach long advocated by Senator Obama. His proposal - to withdraw forces based on a political timetable, no matter the consequences for Iraq or American national security — is profoundly irresponsible. Senator Obama’s comments today demonstrate again his commitment to retreating from Iraq no matter what the cost. His focus is on withdrawal — not on victory. I have always maintained that American forces can only be responsibly withdrawn when it is clear that doing so will not jeopardize the tremendous gains for which our troops have fought. Withdrawing U.S. troops as Iraqi forces are able to assume greater responsibility, and as our enemies in Iraq are being increasingly weakened, is the right way to bring this war to a successful conclusion.

“It is clear that we need additional forces in Afghanistan, and I support the new deployments. Senator Obama believes we must lose in Iraq to win in Afghanistan. I want to win in Iraq and in Afghanistan. As we succeed in Iraq, we must also succeed in Afghanistan. I continue to have full confidence in Generals Petraeus and Odierno as they prepare to assume their new responsibilities, and I look forward to continuing to rely on their advice and counsel as we seek to prevail in both Iraq and Afghanistan.”

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