What do you think of this announcement?

Question

Retired Army general says conflicts in Middle East could keep U.S. there for 50 years

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- It might take as long as half a century before U.S. troops can leave the volatile Middle East, according to retired Army Gen. John Abizaid.
"Over time, we will have to shift the burden of the military fight from our forces directly to regional forces, and we will have to play an indirect role, but we shouldn't assume for even a minute that in the next 25 to 50 years the American military might be able to come home, relax and take it easy, because the strategic situation in the region doesn't seem to show that as being possible," Abizaid said Wednesday at Carnegie Mellon University.
Abizaid, the former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, stepped down in March as the longest-serving commander of U.S. Central Command. He retired from the Army in May and now is at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/national/MI66678/

I think that this guy knows what he’s talking about and it’s been my own contention that we’d be there until the cows came home, regardless of which party wins the next election. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

Just as we still have bases in Europe and Japan after World War II ended 62 years ago we will have people there to guard our embassy and to protect the interests we have built up after vanquishing the enemy. How welcome we will be will depend on a variety of factors. I don't believe anyone running for President with the exception of one or two believes in a total, every man, withdrawal from Iraq but, instead, a removal of most occupation forces, the war is long over we are told so it is occupation. They seem to want enough people there to secure our embassy (largest in the world) and the oil interests our citizens have there. When we go to green energy there will be no need for the latter and we can bring even more home. Let us pray that is within a decade at the latest.

Answer 2

It's sad but true. The wars in this region will never stop, they've been going on for generations before we were there. We are there to kill and catch terrorists and once those tasks are done we should leave and let them all kill each other if they want to. Everyone is focusing on the war on terror but there is even a bigger 2,000 pound gorilla looming, Gaza. Even if there is an agreed upon two state solution a war will arise because of some other reason, the warmongering in this area will never end, Hamas is evil, Al Qaida is evil, they want no peace, so there will never be peace in the Middle East. People who have nothing will give all for something, and from my experiences the only thing most of them got there is religion. That's the problem, they have radically different views on what beliefs should be followed. Everything changed September 11th, we can't and won't stand by while terrorist try to take over and rule out our way of life. When babbling on one of the recently released diatribes Bin Laden stated something along the lines of if all American people pledged their allegiance to islam and allah then the attacks against the US would end. So what do you say America if we give up one of our sacred freedoms, conform to the tyrannical teachings of Islam and give up everything our fore fathers fought for we can have peace, wow, thanks Osama.

Answer 3

The people have little effect on what the military does. Therefore, the government will do whatever they feel is necessary. Apparently, this isn't changed with political parties or new leaders. Not much point in voicing an opinion on this other than the opportunity to speak.

Military issues are only changed when some other force is behind the issue that effects the government or some other situation in the world. We have no relevance as citizens on this issue as we are seen as the recipients of protective measures. I believe that point has been made pretty obvious in recent years as well as prior years.

Answer 4

Abizaid is definitely an intelligent man, and he seems not the type to be a warmonger. He also made some interesting against the grain comments about Iran becoming a nuclear power recently. He might be right, but 50 years sounds like too long a time. I'd give it 20 years tops worst case scenario.

Answer 5

He's right. No matter how unpalatable the idea sounds the U.S. is now committed to maintaining a presence in the middle east until the region is stabilized. When was the last time the middle east was stable?

Answer 6

We will be there until an alternate energy source is widely available. Free flow of oil is of vital intrest to the security and economy of this nation. We aren't there to steal it, but we need to protect our intrest there. Once oil is no longer a major commodity, and the funds for terrorists in that region dry up, they become much less of a threat.

Hey Don C, Wrong again. Stan Laurel never said that line, Oliver Hardy did.

Answer 7

He is a good man with another opinion. This war could go on as long as he indicates or could turn around on a dime should countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait join to help us help the Iraqis. I have sat with these Generals in meetings and you would be surprised at all the different opinions they all have. Generals just like any other Americans have individual opinions that vary just as much as they do here in this forum.

Answer 8

This destabilization of the Middle East resulting from a U.S. invasion of Iraq was predicted by many, including the Army War College, the State Department and every progressive/social democrat/left-leaning democrat and libertarian in the world.

Answer 9

I think that is exactly what this administration had in mind all along, a military base & prescence in the Middle East with no intention of closing it down. Democracy for all.

Answer 10

I'm sure it will be longer than that. Look at the history of the Middle East. They have been fighting for thousands and thousands of years. We cannot afford to fight indefinitely. We have already wasted a lot of resources. We are really setting ourselves up. Foreign relations has been damaged.
Bush/Cheney should be impeached. What is wrong with Congress? But we should be protesting in the millions. So there you go, the madness will continue until that happens.