U.S. Commander Sees Troops Staying in Iraq for Years

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=5&u=/nm/20040218/ts_nm/iraq_sanchez_dc


<snip>
"I would say we're talking about years, not months," Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez told Spanish newspaper El Pais when asked how long the U.S. army would remain in Iraq.

"The Iraqis tell us they don't want us here, but nor do they want us to go. It's very complicated," he said.

Asked about Baghdad, where U.S. troops are moving to the outskirts to help ease newly trained Iraqi police and soldiers into their eventual role as the capital's guardians, Sanchez said tactical control remained firmly in the coalition's hands.

"The only thing that is changing is that we are giving Iraqi police officers and Civil Defense Corps soldiers a little bit more responsibility and they are starting to operate more freely," he was quoted as saying.

[NeoConsSuck]

1. Or at least until

the oil wells run dry.

[saigon68]

13. Ricardo Sanchez= BAGMAN for HALLIBURTON

I wonder how long after he "RETIRES" it will be before he is on the Board of some multi-national criminal enterprise???

[kayell]

2. If the Dem president does not get us out of there,

give up the claims to the oil, and turn the whole mess over to the UN (other than our financial responsibilities to fix the country we broke) I am going to be SO F***ing PISSED. Yet I have the horrible feeling that we are in for a long stupid Viet Nam like slog supported by both Dem and Repuke administrations. I hope I am wrong.

[Jacobin]

5. You echo my thoughts

and yes, I'm afraid IraqNam will be continued by Kerry or whatever dem candidate wins in November.

It is absolutely disgusting what Smirk has done and the complicity of congress in this insanity is beyond the pale.

[Minstrel Boy]

11. This is the thought that sickens me this morning.

A Democrat wins, and by 2008 Iraq is still occupied. Maybe not with the stink of Bush on it, but the reality on the ground is the same, because of the reality under the ground: the world's largest remaining reserves of cheap oil.

And what then?

[justsam]

3. i can't see where there

would be any doubt in anyones mind about us being there for years, if we cut and run like Nam, the people that wouldn't please our government would be in power and there would defiantly be a civil war with Iran and other countries being involved.."Bush has dug us a hole and we still haven't got Bin Laden".. We have been in Korea for over fifty yrs, so just think how long we may be in Iraq..

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

4. I would say we're talking about decades

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Our troops are not a positive force...

...on the ground in Iraq. The country is literally on the brink of civil war, and our troops cannot prevent this from happening. It's time to evac them all out before the shiite hits the fan!

[ignatius]

7. Since we "quietly" closed our base in Saudi Arabia, isn't this

now our only troop presence in the ME? Wasn't this the real reason for the war, to put our troops in harms way to protect the flow of the oilmens gold? In the meanwhile, alternative energy sources are underfunded..we can't afford 'em...gotta rebuild Iraq. Remember a few short months ago the story line was that there would be enough oil flowing that they could finance their own reconstruction..was that a blatant lie also?

Billions and billions of tax dollars, thousands of innocent civilians, and Lord knows how many troops will die or be permanently scarred for the BFEE and their cronies.

[0007]

8. I think the Saudis told us to leave - this was Osama bin Laden big gripe

having Americans in their country. So we're building airbases and military installations in Iraq for the sake of democracy.

[underpants]

9. When the sandstorms hit they went ahead and admitted....

that permanent bases would be established. This was a part of the PNAC plan from the get go, they (Rummy if memory serves) suddenly didn't any good news to report (or bad for that matter) and he said that indeed US troops would in one way or another be there permanently.

Everytime the question is even posed I shake my head as the answer was given almost a year ago.

Wolfwitz anticipated that the cost to the US would be $1.7 Billion total, we are spending that in less than two weeks right now. Those oil dollars were to be spent several ways:
Reimburse the US
Relieve Iraqi debt
Pay the Iraqis
Pay for rebuilding (why would we need to rebuild if we were going to be welcome with flags and roses?)
Pay for upgrades in oil producing infrastructure

And yet what do we have? We (Halliburton actually) are IMPORTING oil into Iraq and OPEC cut production so gas prices are going to be $2.50 a gallon or so if they aren't already. Do you think that might put a crimp in summer travel plans?

[RedEarth]

10. "It's very complicated"........most people outside of this admin

predicted it would be very complicated. So complicated that a civil war might erupt. So complicated that it would be almost impossible for a true democracy to emerge. George, Dick, Paul, Karl.....what in the world were you thinking?

[justsam]

12. wouldn't be

great if the people you named above plus Perle, Rummy,O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbugh could be tossed into Iraq and told to set up a Government..

[saigon68]

14. They won't go--most of them are "DRAFT EVADERS"

Disgusting

[donsu]

15. have you all forgotten the 4 large airbases we are bldg. and the

large embassy that will hold 3000 employees?

we will be there forever.

[leftchick]

16. and they will all make fine targets for the....

THOUSANDS of liberated people in Iraq who aren't real happy about the US presence.

[BiggJawn]

17. I ought to be a freakin' General myself!

Gee, I'm at LEAST as smart as "Dirty" Sanchez. I figured we'd be there until after I'm dead and gone LONG before he opened his cake hole on the subject....

[scarface2004]

18. very complicated??!!

yeah...can t go till halliburton is done ripping everybody off!!

[Zero Gravitas]

19. Well DUH

DId anyone outside of Bush* and the PNAC loonies really think that we wouldn't be there for years and years (or until we are kicked out/withraw once the Iraqi Civil War starts.)

[m-jean03]

20. Iraq-nam?

Anyone?

[saigon68]

22. Been There

Done that

[m-jean03]

23. You're an impressive presence, saigon68

Your comments bear a lot of weight around here. Your screen name alone represents and connotes so much. I always enjoy and respect your opinions a great deal; they are so strong and cynical. Just wanted to let you know what I'm sure many feel.

[saigon68]

24. Not too cynical I hope--- :-)

We are on the verge of making history this year.

In Wisconsin we had the evil Thompson to put up with for almost 16 years.-- Now he moved up and is part of the death machine.

It is unfortunate that most of the policy makers, have not seen unbridled violence and it effects or if they have -- they are little affected by its presence.

I do grieve for the children being killed. On both sides. The young troops and the Iraqi children caught in the cross fire--- so needless.

Thx--as long as this site is here--- I'll remind anyone who takes the time to read, that the KING has no clothes.

[proud patriot]

21. Send this article to Aaron Brown

He needs to read it ..

He owes us an apology !