does anyone think a timeline for withdrawl in iraq gives the enemy an advantage?

Answer 1

Not only does it give the enemy the advantage, it puts the US soldiers at risk.

The enemy will hit us with everything they have while we "retreat", put that on all the websites, all over the news, and embolden the terrorists worldwide. They will brag to the world how the "kicked our butts" out of Iraq and will do that in every Muslim nation on Earth.

This will make the pull out from Saigon look like party.

Answer 2

It is a ridiculous notion, with all due respect. It’s made, (for the most part anyway), by Americans with little knowledge of the situation or little love for their country.

I believe that it was Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, veteran of both Vietnam and the 1991 Gulf War, who said that it’s actually a good thing. His reasoning was that the talk of timetables is forcing the Sunnis in political office to get their act together before this dying Iraqi government is dead completely.

But as I said, the notion that a timeline gives “our enemies”, (whoever the hell they are on any given day), an advantage is ridiculous. I’m former military myself but this doesn’t take having worn a uniform to understand.

There are very few foreign fighters in Iraq; the figure has never risen above 9%. So it’s not like our military can keep on fighting till “the enemy” decides to go home. Then we can withdraw without any fear of the fighting starting back up again. We can not outlast the enemy in this way because they live there, we don’t!

Just having military forces in the country obviously doesn’t solve the problem, hell, this current stage of the war began with our forces in the country.

And there is not going to be any formal surrender even if our military could be totally successful. The insurgents who account for most of the violence, the Sunni death squads and the Shia militias, they are not going to sign peace treaties on USS Missouri, docked in the Persian Gulf. They would simply go home one day and not come out the next, not to fight anyway. But they will not give up their weapons or their hatred of each other, not by any military defeat. Which means they could start up the fight again once we leave and we will leave eventually. And without making them give up their hatred and at least the desire to use their weapons, our effort in Iraq can’t ever really “win”.

This is what it means when our generals say that there is no military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution, that’s what we need to be worried about as Americans. Iraqis have to rationalize that the ballot box is more useful politically than a bomb.

Answer 3

Enemies will plan on what to do in Iraq if the US gives the timeline for its withdrawal.

Answer 4

that all depends upon what the Iraqis do. We may need a timeline or they'll just become dependant on us rather then stand on their own. Besides the withdrawals still leave the ability to keep anti-terror troops inside Iraq.

Answer 5

I think the plan is to sneak out at night while no one is looking. This will surprise the enemy. This is magical thinking because deadlines can always be changed. The issue is a red herring.

Answer 6

no i don't think so, it seems that the Iraq people are not wanting to take over the security of there country, so maybe a time line will make then work harder to take control of there own country.

Answer 7

Perhaps.

But the other side of the coin is remaining for as long as 20 years, keeping the opposing sides from tearing the country apart.

And even if we remain in Iraq for 20 years, how much will it cost in blood and taxes? Is the oil that valuable?

Bush said he knew this war would wind up in the lap of the next president. I fear we'll be deep in Iraq in one way or another for ten more years.

Answer 8

I am not sure that anyone in Iraq is afraid of the US presence there in the first place. So, anouncing that we have a plan set to leave someday will not suddenly make rebels go; "Hmmmm...if they are leaving in a few months we will just sit back and wait until they go." I am sure they would be eager to do as much damage before we leave as possible. When we leave there will be less people to spread destruction.

Answer 9

no i do not. again i would point to Kenneth Ballan's article dispelling the myth of muslim support for terror as away of eliminating one excuse to remain to an article by azam timini on the encouragement of sectarian strife the name of it escapes me at the moment anyway it essentialy says that saddam killed people regardless of whether they were shiite or sunni and that his regime was not made up entirely of sunnis but had shiites in it as well

Answer 10

Absolutely. These Democrats just told them when the region is going to be the weakest due to a US troop pullout. All they have to do is buy their time, and when we leave, they will wreak havoc, trust me! It's a foolish thing to do.