"by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end"

[piece-itpete]

Black power! We don't need no stinkin' honkies.

Pete

[piece-itpete]

The man's trying to keep a brother down!

Pete

[piece-itpete]

How'z that withdrawy combaty thing workin' out for ya?

Pete

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

How'z that withdrawy combaty thing workin' out for ya?

Pete

There will be around 70,000 fewer troops there. That's a good start.

EDIT: Oops. That's 94,000. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080202710.html

Regards,

D-Ray

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

How'z that withdrawy combaty thing workin' out for ya?

Pete

As hosed up as things are over there, Obama's policies and implementation thereof are more comprehensible that Dubya's by a wide margin. Think about it - had Dubya's policies been even marginally successful, we should have been out of both Iraq and Afghanistan long ago. After bailing at Tora Bora, he had no policy in Afghanistan and up until "the surge" his policies in Iraq could be characterized as nothing short of a clusterf*ck. Lots of trees were killed publishing deeply researched tomes critical of his Iraq efforts.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

As hosed up as things are over there, Obama's policies and implementation thereof are more comprehensible that Dubya's by a wide margin. Think about it - had Dubya's policies been even marginally successful, we should have been out of both Iraq and Afghanistan long ago. After bailing at Tora Bora, he had no policy in Afghanistan and up until "the surge" his policies in Iraq could be characterized as nothing short of a clusterf*ck. Lots of trees were killed publishing deeply researched tomes critical of his Iraq efforts.

Well, Shrub may have been a fucking idiot, but he had better sense that to get bogged down in Afghanistan.

Like another fucking idiot I can think of.

Chas

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Charles

Well, Shrub may have been a fucking idiot, but he had better sense that to get bogged down in Afghanistan.

Like another fucking idiot I can think of.

Chas

If he bailed from Afghanistan in general and Tora Bora in particular because he felt that he had accomplished all the he planned to accomplish or could have accomplished, I'd agree. But he bailed in order to man up for the Iraqi invasion, an unnecessary, costly and continuing (mis)adventure.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

If he bailed from Afghanistan in general and Tora Bora in particular because he felt that he had accomplished all the he planned to accomplish or could have accomplished, I'd agree. But he bailed in order to man up for the Iraqi invasion, an unnecessary, costly and continuing (mis)adventure.

That's one way to look at it.

Another is, Al Qaeda was spread throughout the Middle East and beyond. Bin Laden was more of a spiritual advisor than a military advisor. And Tora Bora was a tough nut where we relied on supporting different factions against one another.

The invasion of Iraq, IMO, was an attempt to affect the mindset of the entire Middle East. An overly ambitious project, to be sure.

How did Machiavelli put it, "Nothing is more difficult, or more dangerous, or more unsure of success than to attempt to change the order of things."

Well, that's what Shrub did, and I doubt that he drew up the plans on his Etch-O-Sketch all by himself. Using crayolas because he was too stupid to use the knobs. I'm sure he had a lot of input from a lot of people, and not just only the so called neocons.

Obama's in the same place, and there is only so much he can do. Personally, I feel sorry for both of them, they both were presented with choices where there are no good answers.

I only hope it works. And I'm also growing very weary of all of the political finger pointing.

Would anyone here want the responsibility that goes with doing a better job?

Chas

[piece-itpete]

So we will no longer have any combat missions in Iraq.

Pete

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

So we will no longer have any combat missions in Iraq.

Pete

Maybe.

But I refuse to pay to maintain a standing army there forever. Same goes for Afghanistan. Actually, most of the bases elsewhere in the world need to go as well. We have more important and pressing money issues at home, to be paying out almost $800,000,000,000 EVERY YEAR so the GOP and the Military brass can take their kickbacks and play with their toys. The Navy can protect trade and shipping routes, after all that was their original purpose anyways.

Maybe we could redirect some of those resources to protect our borders, Pete?

I just want my country to stop trying to run the whole effin' world and concentrate on taking care of it's own. Is that really so bad?

Dave