President Bush’s “coalition of the willing” is set to all but disappear from Iraq by the end of the year, with 13 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Moldova and Tonga preparing to withdraw their few remaining troops.
Britain, Australia, Romania, Estonia and El Salvador are the only nations, apart from the US, that plan to remain after a UN mandate authorising their presence expires on December 31.
London must still reach an agreement with Baghdad, however, to keep its 4,100-strong contingent on the ground into the new year. Failure to do so in time would leave British troops without legal cover and they too would have to leave…
President Bush and Tony Blair scrambled the coalition together in the build-up to the Iraq invasion in a bid to put an international face on what was fast becoming an unpopular war. But the list of participants drew scorn for failing to include a greater number of powerful states, with the US and Britain the main contributors.
While the coalition is dissolving, another force of foreigners is still thriving in the country: thousands of private contractors from developing countries such as Peru, Uganda, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
And we all know what useful skills private contractors bring to Iraq.
Blame the Americans folks!
Poland… we’ll never forget you.
#1–Zorkor===where is that annual report on the number of Muslim leaders who support fascist dictators as opposed to toppling them? That would be for those “Monarchs” who aren’t fascist dictators themselves–aka–all the Muslim Leaders.
FREEDOM–such an unknown concept in the Muslim mind, they make fun of people who try to bring it to them. Hence, the flowering of the 12th Century mind, and posts from Zorkor.
Actually, I was amused yesterday on a tv piece on Obama’s popularity overseas including the opportunity to revive “The Special Relationship” with England now that Bushie and the Poodle are gone.
The British commentator just stated as a matter of fact that as popular as Obama is, there will be NO SUPPORT for sending EU troops to Afghanistan. Reason quite simply stated was that Afghanistan’s problems were not subject to a military solution.
I assumed Obama’s declaration of continued war in Afghanistan was to pimp the rightwingnut pro war all the time vote.
Predicition–if Obama sends more troops to Afghanistan–his entire administration will go into the toilet.
I just knew that as soon as Moldova withdrew their 8 sheepdogs, Bush’s coalition would fall apart.
Was anyone else surprised that there were still 13 countires involved?
“FREEDOM–such an unknown concept in the Muslim mind, they make fun of people who try to bring it to them. ”
So Turkey isn’t a Democracy any more? Or is it no longer something like 99% Muslim any more?
So Turkey isn’t a Democracy any more?
You really think Turkey is a Democracy? It is basically a Democracy until the people decide something that the military doesn’t like. Then, not so much.
Thirteen partners leaving in two weeks? They were only a drain on US forces. For every one “partner in peace” trooper, they needed four US troops to guard and provision them. I see this as a good thing.
With Iraq largely contained, this is only indicative of the fact that the Surge WORKED folks. This is a positive thing.
Course, the nutroots think otherwise.
I would recommend some of you read:
“Running the War in Iraq – An Australian General, 300000 troops and the bloodiest conflict of our time”
A very interesting view of the war from a Australian two star general who was in the thick of it.
Full of much praise for the US forces. Not so much for the US contractors or the worlds media who have distorted to hell the actual story of what is going on in Iraq.
It was an eye opener for me.
Dan
uhm ever wonder where all those billions were lost in iraq??
why PAYING the coalition to be there…
after jan 20, the bush administration will be out and a new one in… no one in the coalition wants to hang around and not get PAID to be in iraq.
I am surprised the article forgot to mention that Obama was bringing the US troops home as soon as he takes office.
Must have been an oversight.
#12 – LL
>>I am surprised the article forgot to mention
>>that Obama was bringing the US troops home as
>>soon as he takes office. Must have been an
>>oversight.
Naw. They didn’t mention it, because that’s not what he’s going to do.
He’s going to set a timetable for withdrawal (he has suggested 16 months). And the troops aren’t coming home, they’re going to Afghanistan. In fact, the only difference of opinion between Obama and Bush-Baby Gates is that Gates wants to withdraw, but without a formal timetable. They even want to close Dumbya’s War Crimes Central, Gitmo.
Maybe not the 100-years war that McBush promised, but a whole lot more practical.
#13, I’ll bet you a shiny silver dollar those troops will still be there 4 years from now. There is no way we are going to leave the largest embassy in the world to the locals in 16 months.
No way.
#14 – LL
That doesn’t change the gist of what I said. There may be some troops left to protect the embassy in Baghdad, just like all of our embassies are protected.
As to whether the timetable for withdrawal of troops “on the ground” is 16 months, time will tell.
In any case, both Obama and Gates are in agreement. We have bigger fish to fry that to try and bring a graceful end to Dumbya’s botched attempt at “nation building”. Funny, how he ridiculed Bill Clinton’s efforts along those lines; I guess maybe he was thinking of what a God-awful mess HE would make of it if he tried. And that’s just what he did.
#15, Methinks Gates has started touting the party line to keep his job. Just a couple of months ago he was saying we would be there for years. Now it’s months?
If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance . . .
http://tinyurl.com/4gemb6
This is going to turn out to be a chickenhawk administration continuing to spend us into bankruptcy.
#16 – LL
>>Methinks Gates has started touting the party
>>line to keep his job.
Not likely. He said before he didn’t expect to keep his job and didn’t want to keep his job. He’s got enough other irons in the fire, and there’s just no way Dumbya’s abortion-war is going to end well, I don’t know why he even wants the job.
>>http://tinyurl.com/4gemb6
He said that back when (at least some people thought) McBush had a chance to win the election. If he HAD won, we’d be there for 100 years.
>>This is going to turn out to be a
>>chickenhawk administration continuing to
>>spend us into bankruptcy.
Uh, you have to be a warmonger (AND a draft dodger) to be a chickenhawk. Dumbya (and most of his administration) qualifies in spades; Obama does not.
And oh, the bitter irony of you calling Obama’s administration “chickenhawk, continuing to spend us into bankruptcy”. WTF do you think we have right now? Obama is CHANGE, man!
Si, ¡¡se puede!!
#17, But that’s not what he said. He said regardless of who is elected president. Regardless.
btw . . . the true definition of chickenhawk is
A person who favors military force or action to carry out a foreign policy but has never served in the military.
Draft dodging has no bearing.
http://tinyurl.com/6quvfr
http://tinyurl.com/56ytwu
continuing to spend us into bankruptcy”. WTF do you think we have right now?
That’s why I said “continuing,” not “starting.” He is going to continue the last administration’s policy of foreign aggression and increasing the size of government.
He could save the country how much money by pulling us out of Irag? The Iragi government just recently got hammered by our state dept into accepting an ongoing presence when they really didn’t want us there anymore. He should pull us out.
But I guess it’s ok because we’ve doubled our money supply so we should have plenty of money to spend on it.
# 18 LibertyLover said, “the true definition of chickenhawk is
A person who favors military force or action to carry out a foreign policy but has never served in the military.”
So, come Jan 20, the only chickenhawks to occupy the White House in the last 50 years will have been Clinton & Obama. Prior to that it was FDR.
#18 – LL
I’m familiar with the definition of “chickenhawk”. There have been so many in Dumbya’s administration, it’s hard not to be.
And while draft dodging isn’t a necessary prerequisite for chickenhawkdom, many of the supporters and members of Dumbya’s administration have gone that “extra mile” my no only never having had been in combat, but by having gone to extreme lengths not to have done so.
#19 – Paddy-RAMBO
>>So, come Jan 20, the only chickenhawks to
>>occupy the White House in the last 50 years
>>will have been Clinton & Obama. Prior to that
>>it was FDR.
Paddy-RAMBO, you must work really hard to come up with things as idiotic as the things you say. Clinton and Obama as chickenhawks. Sheesh. I can’t believe that sort of moronic arrested development comes natural to ANYONE. Do you have a staff of writers?
# 21 Mister Mustard said, “Paddy-RAMBO, you must work really hard to come up with things as idiotic as the things you say.”
So, what branch of the military did Clinton & Obama server in?
@22 – Paddy-RAMBO
>>So, what branch of the military did Clinton & >>Obama server in?
They didn’t server in any branch, Paddy-RAMBO. Of course, they didn’t get Poppy to get them a plum position flying geraniums from nursing home to nursing home during the Viet Nam war to take the place of their “military” serverice, go AWOL even from THAT cushy job, and then come into office breathing fire and pawing the floor in their eagerness to start a war that somebody ELSE would fight.
You DO know the definition of chickenhawk, right? Out of the three, only Dumbya (and many members of his administration) qualify.
# 23 Mister Mustard said, “They didn’t server in any branch”
[A person who favors military force or action to carry out a foreign policy but has never served in the military.]
Okay. Clinton used the military to attack countries who weren’t at war with us. Obama has stated he would bomb Pakistan & increase the war in Afghanistan.
Chickenhawks …
#24 – Paddy-RAMBO
You don’t have to be a card-carrying anti-war pacifist to escape the “chickenhawk” moniker. Sometimes war (or “bombing”) is the only option.
In Dumbya’s case, after his ignominious “military” serverice (which was servering his country to about the same degree as clearing brush from his Crawford “ranch” servers his country), he declared a unilateral invasion of a sovereign nation on false pretenses; pretenses that he knew (or should have known, if he was sober more than half the time) were cooked up for the purpose of feeding his war-hunger.
As a result, 4000+ Americans have died, and somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 other have died, all in the cause of nurturing his Oedipus complex.
Mission Accomplished?
# 25 Mister Mustard said, “You don’t have to be a card-carrying anti-war pacifist to escape the “chickenhawk” moniker. Sometimes war (or “bombing”) is the only option.”
Yep, for chickenhawks with a hammer, every problem is a nail.
I’m glad we had NO choice but to bomb Yugoslavia.
[2000] “About five hundred civilians died in ninety separate incidents as a result of NATO bombing in Yugoslavia last year.”
Got t love them chickenhawks. LOL
#26 – Paddy-RAMBO
>>Got t love them chickenhawks. LOL
Kind of ironic (LOL) that a guy named RAMBO would love chickenhawks (LOLOLOLOL), but you obviously do.
There’s no other explanation for your continued fawning over the worst president in the history of the republic (apparently solely on the basis of his chickenhawkdom, which is all he’s ever been successful at), and your desire to big-tent the chickenhawk category to include others that no one else ever thinks to include.
LOL. ROTFLMAO! LOLOL!
# 27 Mister Mustard said, “Kind of ironic (LOL) that a guy named RAMBO would love chickenhawks (LOLOLOLOL), but you obviously do.”
Hey, no matter how retarded, ya gotta like Clinton & Omama. Chickenhawks are people too.
#28 – Paddy-RAMBO
Now I KNOW yer jes’ funnin’ me. Of all the things President Clinton and President-Elect Obama might be called, “retarded” is not one of them.
And a Bushbaby like yourself referring to ANYONE as “retarded”?? Now that’s a big hearty belly-LOL! LOL!!!.
Give it up, Paddy-Rambo. Go back to playing with the remote-controlled cars, and maybe the Repugs can dig up somebody who’s not a felon or terminally stupid to run for office in 2016.
And if not, hey, look at all the fun you will have had playing with those cars for 8 years. They’re kewl! That will be a Mission Accomplished in and of itself.
# 29 Mister Mustard said, “Of all the things President Clinton and President-Elect Obama might be called, “retarded” is not one of them.”
I consider any chickedhawk as somewhat retarded.