DUers: Should we withdraw all troops from Iraq ASAP?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

If you are in the we broke it we fix it choice, please define you endpoint.

[pocket]

1. faster than 1-2 years

By the end of this year, TOPS.

[ixion]

4. yep, I agree

:applause:

[Felix Mala]

2. Bush broke it, now we own it... It will be a money pit for years to come.

[IChing]

6. It is not a "pottery barn" dehumanized metaphor, I do not own it and

neither do you, unless you want it as a colony, it is owned by Iraqis.



Read what LBJ said in 65

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1897416

[Felix Mala]

20. We're responsible for it - for better or worse - until we can guarantee

a free Iraq. The trouble is, at the first whiff of a "security" force, I think Bush will pull out. And then when Iraq falls into civil war a week later, he'll try to say it isn't his fault.

[IChing]

21. "We're responsible for it" Yes, responcible for the crime committed

Not an ownership issue, and this responsibility involves being accountable for
the destruction and deaths caused by this administration's actions

You don't let the criminal decide what else he wants to" fix" in the store.
You get him out of the store.

[Walt Starr]

3. 1-2 years is too long

We broke it, but there's no way in hell we'll ever be able to fix it.

[LSparkle]

5. We need to phase out and bring other nations in

Sorry if I sound like Kerry, but if we can get some help from Jordan, Egypt, other Arab nations in the region, then we could begin to pull our troops out. Pulling out completely right away would leave the place in a mess and we'll be blamed for it. We'll still be blamed for many of the failures, but withdrawing completely before we have some allies to fill the gap will only make things worse for us (lower our already dismal standing overseas, make allies less willing to work with us in the future). Our involvement shouldn't be open-ended, though -- we should be out of there in no more than 2 years.

[fujiyama]

12. Outside troops will NOT be welcomed

Don't believe that Arab or Muslim troops from other nations would be accepted with any more legitimacy than Americans.

The Iraqis view this as colonialism and rightly so. We have to complete the training for the Iraqi military and police and let them take care of themselves (though obviously we'll face the financial burden, which we deserve).

[SomewhereOutThere424]

7. I vote for

Never going there to begin with. It may be physically impossible, but it's the better vote.

In seriousness, one more death is one death too many, of iraqi or american blood. This war on terror is an attempt to kill an entire nest of horners with sticks and stones. Atleast if you run away from a damaged hornet's nest they'll eventually stop chasing...

and in reality, attacking a hornet's nest on the other side of the world because we know hornets have stingers and leading them back to our home since they lost their's is not a bright idea. I can't see this war on iraq as more than a little boy throwing rocks at a hornet's nest and wondering why he's being stung. The sooner we're out, the better. They survived without US help before. Heck, some people lived decent lives even under saddam. It's just arrogant to think the US has to be there for them to have any kind of structured society.

[Bread and Circus]

8. Here's my suggestions, step by step

1.) get Bush and his cronies out of power and hopefully in jail as soon as possible.

2.) admit our terrible mistake

3.) get help to stabilize Iraq from other countries upon the condition that we admit our mistake and get our dirty hands of the control of Iraq's gov't and resources.

4.) get all notion/trace of any "permanent US" presence out of Iraq other than normal diplomacy stuff like an embassy/consulate, etc. Meaning, no military bases n hands off their oil.

5.)get out when the help that Iraq needs has arrived to continue some sense of stability.

6.) Live with the consequences and don't start illegal wars again.

7.) Restructure laws surrounding the media so Americans are told the truth and investigative reporting means something.

8.) Get off of foreign oil and go to a green economy.

9.) Realize the folly of what we did and pay reparations to the victims of our illegal actions.

10.) Try to legitimately promote peace and democracy in the world and stop lying to ourselves and the world.

[Lerkfish]

9. since they are fightin our occupation, the hostilities will not end until

we no longer occupy.

make sense? It does to anyone who can read a sentence and grasp logic.
A rarity in the current administration...actually, I don't think it even exists .

[fujiyama]

10. I think

1 year is reasonable (though I'd definetely say, the quicker the better). The training of an Iraqi military and police is vital. This is our mess, whether we want to admit it or not. Iraqis are relatively well educated, so it's inexcusable that they aren't in charge of reconstructing their infracture (and it's unfortunate our contractors are taking jobs away from those Iraqis), though certainly the US would have the bear the financial burden.

Ultimately, we need a defined timetable (as Feingold made clear). We can't have this thing dragging on and on.

The Iraqis don't want to be ruled by anyone from the outside, so I really don't see them accepting foreign troops - just because it may be other Arabs or Muslims ruling them wouldn't make it any better.

[me b zola]

11. It's not just the military that needs to leave

Halliburton and other corporations that are there need to leave as well. Iraq will remain in turmoil as long as there are corporations sucking their resources from them.

Let the Iraqis take bids from foreign companies for work if they choose.

[mtnester]

13. Yep, tough love works wonders sometimes

If Iraqis are intersted in their new democracy, they should have encouraged us out of there by now,..so maybe some tought love is in order....oh, and we need to hand over control of those oil fields on the way out BTW.

[mvd]

14. Yes, I'm for withdrawing almost all immediately

Leave some for the time being to help protect schools, hospitals, etc. Possibly outside help can bring those soldiers home soon, too.

I say this because I don't think we are keeping Iraq stable as is.

[jmatthan]

15. I am for the US accepting defeat and quiting RIGHT NOW

eom

[Talismom]

16. The sooner we get out and let the dust settle (excuse the pun!)

the sooner they can reestablish some order. We will owe a lot of $s to compensate for the damage and clean-up. However, I can't see these scoundrel neocons leaving the 14 some millitary bases they've built--they seem to think they're there to stay.

[in_cog_ni_to]

17. 1-2 years is too long.

Months. We should get out within months. We shouldn't even be there. The sooner we leave, the better. Think of all the lives that could be saved.

[TX-RAT]

18. I wonder what the troops responce would be.

If asked the same question.

[cureautismnow]

19. Yes, Immediately

We were wrong to invade this sovereign country without provocation and we continue to be in the wrong by immorally and illegally occupying said country. Iraq belongs to Iraqis, not Americans. We should GTF out of there IMMEDIATELY and apologize to the world for invading Iraq based on a PACK OF LIES.

Naturally, the Commander-in-Chimp will stay the course and senselessly get several more thousand of our servicemen and women killed in vain (not to mention the thousands of innocent Iraqi lives) before his evil regime mercifully comes to an end in January 2009.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Admit the defeat and get out. NOW!! Then pay reparations.

Besides being illegal and immoral, the whole thing has been a series a bungles, murder, torture, and payoffs. It has shown that our glorious military is incapable of controlling anything more than well foritified bases that they venture out of occasionally to kill a lot of people and then scamper back to.

Impeachment, investigations, blame, can all wait until after the killing stops.

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. Out now! n/t

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

24. kick for more votes

:kick:

[JVS]

25. Asap being in one or two weeks, days if possible