The celebrations in Iraq marking the pullback of U.S. combat forces from Baghdad and other cities stand in stark contrast to the reaction in the United States. Here the transfer of power has been met almost with public indifference, overshadowed by everything from Michael Jackson’s death to the fate of President Obama’s domestic agenda.
A year ago, in the heat of the presidential campaign, the issue of whether U.S. forces should stay or go produced pointed debate and disagreement between Obama and John McCain. Now, the transfer of authority for protecting the cities from U.S. to Iraqi forces has been greeted with near-universal acceptance — if also with some trepidation over what may happen next.
[…]
The pullback from the cities is not, technically, a withdrawal. The United States still has roughly 130,000 troops in Iraq and will for many months. The real drawdown will not begin in earnest until after the national elections in January 2010. But symbolically, yesterday’s handoff marks the beginning of a new and conclusive phase more than six years after U.S. forces invaded.Public opinion long ago showed that a majority of Americans had concluded that the invasion ordered by President George W. Bush was a mistake. Bush’s troop increase, which he initiated in early 2007 in the face of much opposition, has been judged successful in contributing to a reduction in violence. But the Bush administration’s management of the war in the years between the invasion and the “surge” has been widely judged a failure.
[…]
Obama’s approval ratings on Iraq are among his highest on any issue he is dealing with. The decision to withdraw, on whatever timetable, the sharp reduction in American casualties and the general war-weariness after six years of involvement there have combined to create a political calm over the issue that so convulsed the country.
Yup. Things are getting back to normal with the world only being interested in Iraq for their oil.
Hey if I lived in a country where some wanna be cowboy asshole sent in his troops to hang around, throw dogs off cliffs, ram cars with their tanks, etc, I’d be glad as heck to see them leave also. America needs to be like Japans: Only allowed for self defense. Then we can slash the military budget and pay for more important things like education
#1
But then we might have to compete with Japan in the number of teen suicides because they are being pressured to do well in school. Wait, I’m sorry, eyes completely went pass the word “America.” Nevermind, what I just said doesn’t apply since we have a LONG way to go.
We should leave Iraq. If those nations cry for help in the future tell them to F-Off as well. Once most of their residents are killed and the nation occupied, go in and kill everyone else and take the land. Sounds like a plan to me considering the hypocritical behavior these people seem to have. Of course this is just my frustration venting out but still.
Thank you Prez Obama.
– Hopefully, Bush’s elective war with Iraq will drastically cut down the $10 Billion per month bill.
– Hopefully, the slaughter of young American boys will stop.
– Hopefully, this was a lesson learned.
– Did I mention the $10B per month bill?
8 years in Iraq and the US economy did OK.
Coming up on 8 months with Obama and the US economy is falling apart. His coup de grace will be Socialized Medicine followed by Cap and Trade,
#1
Japan’s military is able to be like it is because the US’s military is like it is.
.
Yeah. Except we haven’t left the country, and we never will. We’ve just moved out of the cities and into the suburbs & exurbs. We’re rebranding the “combat troops” as something else, but they’re staying. And then there’s the even larger force of taxpayer-overfunded “civilian contractor” mercenaries. It’s all smoke & mirrors. Obama has renegged on yet another campaign promise, the big one, to end the war.
We’re in deeper than ever in Afghanistan & Pakistan, and anybody we do pull out of Iraq will be going there. There’s absolutely nothing to celebrate here, but I wonder if most Americans realize that. They will when their loved ones do not start coming home right away, I guess. Let’s hope they do get home, some day.
Support our troops: Bring them all home safely NOW.
.
#4 LOL.
That’s like saying … gee, I felt so good while I was doing coke for 8 years.
#6: There’s absolutely nothing to celebrate here, but I wonder if most Americans realize that.
Huh. Did you read even the first paragraph of the article up there?
#1, Then we can slash the military budget and pay for more important things like education
Sounds good to me. Cut the taxes no longer needed for the military and people would have more to do with what they want. I could send my kids to any Ivy League school in the nation with that much money back.
Funny how Obumbler is taking credit for this when he was he did all he could to make the military’s job to win this more difficult. While Bush did his part to screw up this economy, Obumbler has proven Bush had no clue on how to screw up the economy. BaCrack is systematically killing this country with rehashed and failed policies.
8 years in Iraq and the US economy did OK.
Coming up on 8 months with Obama and the US economy is falling apart.
You think that’s bad? Heck, the World Trade Center buildings stood for nearly 30 years and in just over 8 months with Bush and it fell apart…
Anyway, I would be really surprised if the US military ever leaves Iraq. We still have military bases in Cuba since the Spanish-American war and bases in Germany, Italy, and Japan since WWII and bases in Korea since the Korean War. The USA has a pattern keeping a military presence someplace once we go into combat there.
#3 – I’ll bet a $1 that in a year we will still be spending $10B a month in Iraq.
.
# 8 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on July 1st, 2009 at 6:29 am
Huh. Did you read even the first paragraph of the article up there?
Yes, no one is celebrating: Because there IS nothing to celebrate. But I also read the poll that said that 75% of Americans approved of the pullout. Both stories are saying the same thing: People don’t know what’s actually going on. They want the troops home, but where are they now? Still “over there.” Get it, now?
WaPo would love for us to forget the war they helped get started. So would Obama. But we will never forget it, even if the tame corporate media keep trying to scramble the news with rubbish like the Michael Jackson “story,” and this self-fulfilling article that tells us that we don’t care about Iraq any more, that we’re happy with Obama’s war, that we actually like all the hooey we’re getting instead of a real end to the war. Bullsh*t.
Learn to read, willya?
.
The war was supposed to be a terrorist recruiting tool. Not working out that way when they are losing.
We were told Iran was the real winner of the war. Then the supposed Iranian puppet ordered the crushing of the Mahdi Army, and its leader went into hiding, offered a truce, and said he would rebuild his army as a social services organization, kind of like the Catholic Church after the Crusades.
#4 cracked me hard pretty hard. Still laughing as I type this 🙂
Sonny, you really should try the military and put yourself in a war for 8 years. See how you like it. You’re not going to get to cry for sh*t once you’re in there that’s for sure. Do you realize how LONG 8 years is, not to mention the kids dying?
Bizarro land.
“out of Iraq” = 130,000 troops? Call me when we have zero stationed there.
This guy wrote the “regulations” that “conveniently discourages” companies from voluntarily labeling their products saying they were made without rBGH. rBGH, by the way, is outlawed in every country but the US (this is one area I think we should listen to the rest of the world on). If you voluntarily label your milk as hormone-free, you are going to court.
He also implemented a plan to sue small farmers if there was any trace of Monsanto contamination on their fields (like seeds being carried by the wind or bird crap). Numerous American and Canadian farmers have been sued because the Monsanto “gene” has ended up in their fields through no fault of their own.
In 2005, Monsanto admitted to bribing an Indonesian official to sidestep an environmental assessment by the government of its genetically modified cotton.
http://tinyurl.com/njtzwl
In 2007, Monsanto was sued by France for false advertising related to its flagship herbicide Roundup. Monsanto was found guilty for misleading consumers by claiming that Roundup was biodegradable and left soil clean after its usage. In fact, Roundup has been shown to be dangerous to the environment and toxic to aquatic life.
http://tinyurl.com/kkdd75
This man may not have worked there the last few years, but his ties with them still exist. Look up how much stock he still has in the company.
#17, Wrong damned screen!
Our military is just not capable of long term occupation. I don’t see Iraq staying calm for very long. In fact I believe it has already started. I thought we were just going to look for Weapons of mass destruction and leave? I guess that never happen nor did any WMD show up. What a waste of military men and woman. Now we will probably do the same in Afganistan.
#2 – The0ne – But then we might have to compete with Japan in the number of teen suicides because they are being pressured to do well in school.
LOL – Good one. As if it would happen.
#4 – jbenson2 – 8 years in Iraq and the US economy did OK.
No, it didn’t.
#7 – Dallas – gee, I felt so good while I was doing coke for 8 years.
LMAO
#15 – theone – Do you realize how LONG 8 years is, not to mention the kids dying?
He don’t care. He has never served.
For those of you that think we will ever be completely out of Iraq, consider this: We still have bases and soldiers stationed in Germany…
#21 – GetUsedToIt – We still have bases and soldiers stationed in Germany…
And that’s just one country…
#5 GigG
Largely true.
However the Japanese military may have to change it’s stance drastically due to the posture of America and it’s allies as it relates to China’s military (missile shields etc.) and the developments in the worlds biggest prison camp North Korea partially due to the help provided by, for example, the company Rumsfeld worked for between roles in the government..
“Mr Rumsfeld was a non-executive director of ABB, a European engineering giant based in Zurich, when it won a $US200 million contract to provide the design and key components for the reactors. He sat on the board from 1990 to 2001, earning $US190,000 a year. He left to join the Bush Administration.” Sydney Morning Herald.
The problem is not the (mostly honourable and brave) military or the government (which is really the people) but the crooks that get to make decisions for them (from both Mafia parties).
I wish the world was simple and there was just right and wrong but it is not, therefore I am glad that men and women are willing to go to war to stop people like Saddam and I thank them for it. The world is better off without him.
# 5 GigG said,
#1
Japan’s military is able to be like it is because the US’s military is like it is.
But they’re really good a fighting giant monsters
🙂
J/P=?
The area will be fine. Persians and Arabs has so much love for one another.
Well crap we coulda done this years ago.