If the Surge worked would you still call for a pull out? would you support a pull out?

Question

The evidence to date shows enormous progress in the areas affected by the surge: Anbar Province has become the safest place in Iraq outside of the Kurdish Zone, and Bagdad is more secure now than at the begining of the insurgency. The 'Clear and Hold' doctrine of Gen. Petraeus along with increased co-operation with security forces and even nationalist groups has led to great progress and superb moral, even so many democrats want to further their agenda by pulling out anyway and would much rather the surge be a dismal failure : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/30/AR2007073001380_pf.html
If Petraeus reports great progress in sectarian violence, security, compatence of Iraqi security forces, and says we could win the war(stable democratic Iraq w/no secatarian violence) in a couple of years (1-3) would you start supporting the war?

Answer 1

People have made up their minds, the "political fad" mindset of your average person won't listen to historical data, insurgent trends, military doctrine of Islamic countries or Iraqi government input. (that's both Republican and Democrat).

If you can find 5 people out of hundred who know who the 1920 Rev Brigade are or why Iran wants Iraq to fall into chaos or why the Shia and Sunni are split I'll die of utter amazement.

If we were really smart we'd give more authority to Iraqi Kurdistan in dealing with Northern Iraq, it's taken us this long to give them Kirkuk even though they've promised from the get-go they'd clean it up.

Answer 2

Well civilian deaths in Iraq rose by a third from June 1,227 deaths to July '07 1,653 deaths. If the General Petraeus can paint a success picture to Congress by September, things will have to turn around sharply to sway skeptical minds.

What Congress might not appreciate is that it is probably impossible to pull all troops out of Iraq by next spring. Pulling brigades out, with their equipment takes time. It is said that even under the best scenario, it would take a year to cut troops from almost 160,000 down to 80,000.

Popular support from the public/Congress or not, it looks like there is no choice but to have U.S. Troops in Iraq for a couple of more years.

Answer 3

I have supported the war from the beginning, and see this as yet more evidence for the probability of our troops' victory. I don't believe that Iraq will ever see true peace, as long as there are Islamo-fascists at large, but a independant and democratice Iraq is more than possible. The absolute worst thing we could do is begin to pull out!

Answer 4

It is an erroneous and bogus assumption. Picking-and-choosing things than can be ‘interpreted’ as progress is like predicting a Stock Market long-term trend based on a 15 minute snapshot.

Iraq was terminal the day that thought was planted in Bush’s little pinhead. And, like any terminal illness, there may be short-term upward spikes but they do not indicate recovery or a shift in the prognosis.

The long-term trend is ever downward and the end-game is death. That is Iraq and nothing can stop the failure – but we can choose to quit failing whenever we want. When you find yourself in a deep hole, the first thing that you do is – stop digging.

Answer 5

"IF" it works.

Petraeus did not say 1-3 years, he said at least two years.
He also said it could take longer.
Some in the Pentagon have said as much as Ten years.

Also "enormous progress" is false.
And.. Most of the good progress is from those "Nationalist Groups" you mentioned. Do you know who those groups are and what they want ? If we let them have power won't that go against what we want for Iraq in the first place?

Answer 6

There is no evidence that the "Surge " has accomplished anything.

I was against the Invasion
I oppose the occupation
I want Americas Military guarding Americas Borders, not Iraqs

Answer 7

It's not sustainable. What else needs to be said about a troop surge, except maybe the fact that in Vietnam the troop surge was 500,000, not 150,000 and it still didn't work.
We can stay there for the next 100 years, the same thing will happen when we leave. The Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites hated each other before we went there and they will hate each other when we leave regardless of when we leave.

Answer 8

I want a plan. A damn plan with a timetable. I want to know just really what in the hell we are trying to accomplish. If it is waiting for a government to be formed or training the Iraqi military, then I think that will never happen. If it is for drawing out the terrorists to kill them, I will support that but we can do it with a lot less man power.

Answer 9

the media will never allow the general public to know the truth. they haven't up until this point. there had been tremendous progress even BEFORE the surge. death sells. discontent sells. hate for Bush sells. the media's spin on reality to the households of the typical average american has been the main problem up to this point. people just don't know any better cause NBC and the like gave them twisted and half-spoken truths. hopefully, there will be TOO much progress for them to ignore.

Answer 10

Surge or no surge, a pullout would not be a good idea.

If we do so,it would paint us as little kids who go in and run out at the first sign of difficulty. If we go, then we would basically give in to terrorism, encouraging terrorists to go on and keep attcking because if they are patient enough, we would fold under pressure.

I would really appreciate it if the damn politicians would let us do our job and keep politics out of our business!