why will our military be in Iraq until 2010?

Question

I heard this on the news today from pres.bush. why that long? i beginning to wonder if we are doing any good any how? are we making good use of our military?

just by watching the news w/North Kor..and Iran things look a little scary. If we keep going into these countries and trying to rebuild them who's going to gaurd the usa?

Answer 1

Being present for kickoff from 2003-2004, and later from 2005-2006, I can say with some certainty I've pretty much seen most of the country. I've also flown over most of the country multiple times as well as dealing with local nationals on the ground.

I've wavered between total disgust and fervent belief that what I'm doing is right - often changing within the same day, sometimes the same hour. That's just how things are over there. Colin Powell was right: it's the Pottery Barn rule at work. We rolled Iraq, now it's our responsibility to fix it. Done right, no one will remember the cost as unbearable (does anyone complain about the nearly 300,000 American DEAD sustained during the Second World War, or the extremely expensive Marshall Plan reconstruction projects now?). The progress of the Iraqi security forces is mixed. Some units are absolutely stellar, while others are borderline at best. Discussion of these is far too extensive a topic for a website like this.

Ostriching is not a solution. Running away from confrontation is not a solution. Neither is picking fights before you're ready with an understrength mlitary reeling from the Clinton defense cuts, but that's a whole different ballgame. Maybe you all back home believe that instantaneous gratification and ticker tape parades are the only answer to your personal concerns, but that's not how the world works. When the going gets tough, that is not the time for Americans to engage in mutual recrimination and then blame leadership alone for problems they've been incubating for decades.

We as a nation have a responsibility to the greater community of nations, particularly our allies, trade partners, and those whom we are trying to guide to a better system of governance. The world doesn't revolve around the American taxpayer. Just because you don't like what you see on television - which isn't the whole picture anyways - doesn't mean your personal distaste is the right standard to embrace.

You can't blame individual Iraqis for not standing up and fighting Saddam because they did - twice. Thousands of Shia were massacred in the south, thousands of Kurds massacred in the north, whole forests bulldozed, whole towns emptied - some with chemical munitions. And it was our fault, since Bush Sr., then President after Gulf War 1, called on the Iraqis to rise up and revolt against Saddam - and left them hanging.

If you've walked through places like Najaf and Karbala, Baghdad and Kirkuk, and talked to those local nationals who lost friends and family to one of the most brutally efficient police states ever known? You wouldn't say that what we did was a complete waste of lives, or uncalled for. We have an opportunity to do great good - without the second-guessing. We can do better than what Saddam did to these people, if we have the right motivation and direction. If you're the American public, your job is to ensure the ship doesn't run into the rocks, not fight the captain for the rudder or start trying to abandon ship.

It isn't terrorists that will bring down America, it's Americans who cease to be responsible citizens and no longer have the wisdom to discern right from wrong.

Answer 2

I am back again to answer this one. My son is an officer serving in Iraq right now. He hopes to come home with the total 4th Infantry Division in Late Nov or early Dec and then the 1st should return. I doubt this will take place. As we know Bush is adding at lease 6 months on these deployments and the soldiers don't get wind of it until just before they are to return (how fair is that). Many are married and have kids. Their families try to plan for their return and it can not be done.

I believe 2010 is possible. According to my son, the Iraqi military is not learning quickly enough to secure their country. He says they don't want to that they would rather have us stay and do the dirty work and they still get paid. The training just goes on and on and they get a pay check. Is this fair to us? No. Does the Army Commanders and Bush's Cabinet see it? Who knows.

Also we have civilians (who are paid huge dollars to rebuild Iraq) there to rebuild the country, we ruined, with our tax dollars. Our military stays to protect them. They are in danger there. Bush also says we are allowing the country to get strong so the terrorists won't infiltrate it (which shows they are not there and are in other arab countries).

My son is begging me to vote Democrat this election. They need to control the Senate and the House so that their is an equal and fair vote. We need to elect those that want our soldiers home. Even one more soldier lost to this endless was is too much. Havent we spent enought billions on this war and hasn't enough lives been lost. I think so.

Answer 3

We are STILL in Kosovo after eleven years. And that problem has mostly been resolved. Bill Clinton told us when we went that we would be out by the following Christmas. Needless to say, he lied.

We cannot leave until the job is finished. If we do, we certainly doom the region to civil war and insurgency. Iran will ultimately prevail, and create a secondary terrorist state, since the bulk of southern Iraq is Shia, as the Iranians are.

Answer 4

The last I heard was 2020, depends I guess on whether you want to be honest about how long it will take to stabilize the country or whether you need to win seats in the upcoming elections. Seems like lying and going for the seats isn't much of a change of policy for the republicans.

Answer 5

No one. That's why it's a mistake to mess with Iran and North Korea.

Answer 6

I think it might be a total lack of a plan. I think we're going to have troops in Iraq until we have a change in leadership.

Answer 7

I bet you are trixie. You seem like the type that wonders about such things.

Answer 8

Because Iraq's either don't know what FREEDOM IS...or do not treasure it enough...to fight and defend and protect it.

Freedom.....from a dictators Sons who torture who rape women on their wedding day...have there way first before consecrating that moment with her husband.

Why they do not stand up and fight for themselves..is beyond me...

Answer 9

i think it will b longer then that.... bush got us into too big of a mess

Answer 10

Click on: milblogging.com and you will know!!!!!!!
It is a very interesting website.