Is a timetable to get out of Iraq a GOOD idea?

Question

Nobody likes this war. YES, it turned out to be all for the wrong reasons, but if we leave will it signal weakness and defeat for America? What's next?

PLEASE refrain from the usual Bush bashing answers...Real ideas only...

Answer 1

A public timetable is a very bad idea. One of the worst things that you can do in combat is inform the enemy of your plan. All a timetable will accomplish is informing the insurgents that we are leaving by such and such time whether we have won or not.
Regardless of what our personal feelings are about the war, we cannot simply pull out without finishing it. To do so would even further destabilize one of the world's biggest political hot spots. America pulling out before the job is done will lead to a civil war in Iraq, and we would be naive to think that Syria and Iran would not get involved in one way or another. It would be a very bad scenario not just for us and Israel, but also for the moderate Islamic nations of the region including allies such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Answer 2

The cost of the war is great in both in blood and treasure.

We need a non binding timetable that specifies dates for troop with withdrawals, with provisions for binding automatic roll backs of the Bush tax cuts for the rich, if the timetable isn't met. If the war was going to be very short, it might have been fair to spread its cost over a period of years; but if our commitment is going to be open ended, it is immoral to pass the entire cost of the war on to the next generation. The right thing to do is return to a pay as you go system. The Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting for 500 years. - If the war is to continue, there must be consequences for the Bush power base who most supported it. The bill just past by congress authorizes over 124 billion dollars in new war spending. The Democrats have missed an opportunity by not including provisions for tax cut roll backs, in the bill to fund the war.

Answer 3

First of all; your premise that the war was initiated for “all the wrong reasons” is incorrect but we can discuss that at some other time.

To answer your question let me rephrase it:
Is telling your enemy (said enemy having proven that he intends to destroy you if possible) that that by “militarily insignificant” acts of terror have caused you to set a timetable for surrendering a “militarily significant” geographical area a good idea? Knowing that such surrender will abandon to torture and death those who depend on you and bring on a blood bath and knowing that such a surrender will enable attacks on your home land.

Is this a good IDEA?

No.

What we should do is provide the resources necessary to complete the “strategic hamlet” strategy that is slowly rolling back the Terrorists. It is little understood fact of the Viet Nam war that everyone seems to have forgotten that South Vietnam was winning until the U.S. Congress defunded that war. As a recently retired former soldier with boots on the ground experience and from listening to fellow soldiers still serving I can tell you that we are slowly pushing the Bad guys into a corner.

Bottom Line:
You want to have peace then finish the job. You want 20, 30, 50 more years of what you have seen over the last 25 years then surrender and bug out.

Hil Evers

Answer 4

I guess the thinking is that if we give the Iraqis a time limit just maybe they'll get there act together and establish a government. I don't know if that be true or not, there are many people smarter than I that are trying to figure that out. I'm not a Bush supporter so lets understand that right off the bat but since we're there we need to teach the Extremists, the Zealots, the Juhadists, that we mean business and we're not leaving until we eliminate them. Capture el-Sadr and do unto him what he and his group are doing to others. It seems that they only understand that type of rule.
I say that we pull our troops back to the borders of Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia and let the factions have it out and when they're both punch drunk we walk back in and organize those that are left.

Answer 5

The way I see it, we, (Western Civilization), have been under attack by Radical Islamic Jihadist's for over 30 years, after 9-11 we finally declared war against them. As everyone knows, this is an ideology we are fighting, not a country or an army, but this ideology is spawned in the Middle East. What we are trying to do in the case of Iraq is to establish leadership we can count on to help control and minimize the operability of Al Qaida and other radical Islamic terrorist groups. If we leave, AlQaida and Iranian elements WILL seize control and turn Iraq into a major breeding ground for extremists.
Whether or not you agreed with us invading Iraq in 2003, it's hard to justify surrendering at this point.

Answer 6

Truth be told, I could care less at this point. The next election will be close one. At this point, I believe that the majority of the population is disenchanted with the republican party. What this means that at election time, there might be a knee jerk reaction to voting for a democrat. Personally, I'll be voting for McCain, either on the ballot or by write in.

Answer 7

The THREAT of a timetable is a good idea.
It is aimed at getting the Iraqi government off their backside.

Where the rub comes from is that the Sunnis and Shiites have nothing to gain by making comprimises, and putting boots on the ground will never provide reasons for comprimise

Answer 8

Here's a simple example. The neighborhood bully likes to beat you up. This happens often, 2-3 times a week.

Your cousin comes to stay at your house for a few days. He's a big guy and the bully wants no parts of him, so he hasn't touched you for a few days.
Your cousin has to go home, so you tell the bully your cousin is going home Sunday morning. What will happen to you Sunday afternoon?

Answer 9

About as smart as putting a big sign in your yard saying,
" I'll be out of town for 2 weeks ,starting the 5TH, the safe is behind the picture on the bedroom wall and the combination is xxxxx,xxx,xx,xxx. "

Answer 10

No country has ever won a war with timetable to leave.
J.C.Boyle all wars are open ended. If you fight with a time table for exit you lose.