"You've hit it on the head."

[LizW]

John Murtha just now to Tim Russert. Murtha said he predicted we will be out of Iraq by 2006. Russert said, "By election day 2006."

Murtha said, "You've hit it on the head."

[sarcasmo]

1. I have thought this was the case all along. It will be used for Repuke

political gain in 06. The way it could back fire is when we pull out Iraq goes into an all out civil war and Iran gets their guy in charge.

[Wetzelbill]

5. big problem is Iraq has already devolved into

a type of civil war and that Iran realizes if they are patient enough they can get their guy in charge anyway. Witness the rampant corruption under Ibrahim Al-Jafaari whose Dawa Party is Iran affiliated. Also look at Ahmed Chalabi who has been head of the Oil Ministry and has been consolidating power around his influence in that role, of course he has ties to Iran as well. He has ties all around which is pretty interesting since he used to our boy, now he may be Iran's boy too, haha. The constitution has given the Koran a central role in the law. Now say if we pull out and the civil war intensifies, you would have the possibility of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey getting involved on different levels. However, if we stay we may see that possibility anyway, as our troops are a target as long as they are there. Because of the maladroitness of our administration in going into Iraq, and probably also the pure stupidity of the idea in the first place, we are really stuck in between a rock and a hard place. Or if you want to put it another way, Iraq and a hard place, haha. :: groan:: That was bad. But, anyway, we don't genuinely have a good option here. Not really. It's just been screwed up beyond belief.

[Wetzelbill]

2. yes, LizW, I just saw that, interesting wasn't it?

I don't know. I have to disagree that it will come true to the extent that he is predicting. This administration is so foolish, and neocons have a layered agenda. Our economic interests there make it nearly impossible for these guys to embrace leaving. More so than just the oil aspect is the whole neo-liberal concepts they have in motion. From foreign investments, a wholly privatized economy, to intellectual property being written into Iraqi law by the Coalition Provisional Authority. This is an experiment that they want to work and they will hold on until the bitter end. It'll take Bush being out of office to fully turn a corner in Iraq. Until then, at least, we'll continue to have a notion that our military needs to set up permanent bases and perform constabulary duties in Iraq. It's necessary, in their view, to keep Iraq as a client regime and to potentially spread our presence in the Middle East.

[LizW]

6. I agree

The Republicans are caught between their goal of staying in perpetual power here, and their goal of controlling the oil in the Middle East.

The political operatives undoubtedly would like to have another Mission Accomplished photo op, with plenty of election-year news footage of the soldiers coming home and Bushco declaring victory. But the neocons aren't about to give up the client regime you describe so aptly.

It's a tough spot for them politically, and a tragic situation for our troops and their families.

[Wetzelbill]

8. I think maybe for the purpose of the midterms

we will see some paring down of troop levels, but I wouldn't expect them to give it all up. It's too important to them and, frankly, Bush's circle is so narrow and without contradictory debate. Guys like Bush Sr. friends Jim Baker and Brent Scowcroft aren't even welcome to give views to this administration. In order to change, they have to make changes around Bush and I doubt that will happen. Maybe if Rove gets indicted and fired and Cheney's health keeps him out of action indefinitely, because then Andy Card, who isn't as nuts as the rest of the guys around Bush, would be able to get some of Poppy Bush's friends back into the mix. That would require a lot to happen though.

[gizmo1979]

3. With the bushies in charge it won't be pretty .

They will even screw that up.I hope they let people who know what they are doing run the show.

[No Exit]

4. Dear God, please don't let this turn out to be like "The Monkey's Paw"

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Yep. Be careful what you ask for......

At least Murtha pre-empted the Repukes by taking his stand now.

[No Exit]

9. We can count on the * administration to make even something

fantastically good, like pulling our troops out of Iraq, into some unexpected nightmare.

My only hope is that nowadays, some other powerful person (maybe Murtha himself) can watch them closely to see that they don't fuck this up like they fuck everything else up.

[...of J.Temperance]

10. The Repukes are getting TOO transparent now

We have them wanting to investigate Murtha, like two days after he told the truth and canned Junior's lying ass.

Now we have them saying that they'll bring some troops home "sometime during 2006".

And yes, it's obvious that "sometime in 2006" means the September-October period in time for November.

I don't think people are buying this snakeoil anymore, the people will see this for exactly what it is.