Comments on: Another View On Iraq http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Blakenator http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-122942 Blakenator Sat, 25 Nov 2006 15:52:02 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/#comment-122942 Sadly, everyone debates this as if it were an academic exercise rather than real people suffering. There will never be the "happy ending" Americans want. I remember similar arguments during the mistake that was our Viet Nam adventure. The one lesson we can take from that is when you finally accept that you have no control over the outcome, get the hell out. Sadly, everyone debates this as if it were an academic exercise rather than real people suffering. There will never be the “happy ending” Americans want. I remember similar arguments during the mistake that was our Viet Nam adventure. The one lesson we can take from that is when you finally accept that you have no control over the outcome, get the hell out.

]]> By: grognard http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-121081 grognard Thu, 23 Nov 2006 22:21:02 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/#comment-121081 A new Iraqi poll shows most Shiites want us out and a majority now says it’s OK to kill Americans. The Interior ministry is Shiite dominated, and apparently either turning a blind eye to the Shiite death squads or even actively assisting them. These two facts could possibly translate into attacks on our supply lines to Baghdad, and keeping those lines open would require the troops now keeping a lid on sectarian violence in the major cities. If the American public is to support a longer stay in Iraq there would have to be benchmarks in reducing the level of violence. But look at what we would have to do, we need to shut down and drastically overhaul the Interior Ministry, causing friction between the Shiites and the US. A shutdown would be opposed by the Shiites and give them the excuse to ask us to leave, and open us to attacks in order to get the point across. The only outcome I see is an escalation of violence and the American public seeing the benchmarks not being achieved and deciding to get out. A new Iraqi poll shows most Shiites want us out and a majority now says it’s OK to kill Americans. The Interior ministry is Shiite dominated, and apparently either turning a blind eye to the Shiite death squads or even actively assisting them. These two facts could possibly translate into attacks on our supply lines to Baghdad, and keeping those lines open would require the troops now keeping a lid on sectarian violence in the major cities. If the American public is to support a longer stay in Iraq there would have to be benchmarks in reducing the level of violence. But look at what we would have to do, we need to shut down and drastically overhaul the Interior Ministry, causing friction between the Shiites and the US. A shutdown would be opposed by the Shiites and give them the excuse to ask us to leave, and open us to attacks in order to get the point across. The only outcome I see is an escalation of violence and the American public seeing the benchmarks not being achieved and deciding to get out.

]]> By: Armando R http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-121069 Armando R Thu, 23 Nov 2006 21:32:33 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/#comment-121069 check these vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9A_vxIOB-I check these vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9A_vxIOB-I

]]> By: ascap_scab http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-120669 ascap_scab Thu, 23 Nov 2006 09:21:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/23/another-view-on-iraq/#comment-120669 *The deadline for (3) is past - any withdrawal now or in the future which does not leave behind a stable, functional, America-friendly Iraqi government will appear to demonstrate that the US military and US policy have been defeated, with the resultant failure of this objective.* Your commenter seems to think America will have an indefinite time to do what he wants America to do and that the landscape can only get better if we remain. S/he doesn't envision things getting worse if we stay. Unfortunately, I think your commenter is making bad assumptions. I think things can get worse if we stay. The Iraqi people have said we are no longer helping the situation and two-thirds want us gone within a year. So far, the sectarian violence is mostly directed at each other. By this time next year, I think that violence will mostly be directed at us. We may soon look back with fond memories when we were only losing 100 soldiers per month. Second, The Iraqi leaders are meeting with Iran and Syria soon. The Iraqi leaders will soon have to act to expel us so that they do not look like puppets of America. Third, the Kurdish north has mostly been off the radar, but soon tensions between the Kurds and Turkey may put America in the middle of a shooting war there. Fourth, what happens if a crisis happens elsewhere in the world?? ALL of our military strength is tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan. What will we respond with if, say, Musharrif is overthrown by his own Taliban/ISI, or Lil' Kim gets frisky with SK, or something else?? Fifth, our own military (Gen. James Conway, USMC) is now saying we can't sustain this war without significant commitments of new troops and treasure. In short, who is going to stay there to "complete the job", your commenter and what army?? It was folly to go into Iraq when Saddam was in a box and Osama (remember him??) was still on the loose. It's now folly to stay in Iraq when we are not wanted, our military is breaking, and when things CAN get WORSE. WMDs -- Mission Accomplished!! Saddam -- Mission Accomplished!! Democracy established -- Mission Accomplished!! There is nothing left to win and everything to lose. It's time to leave. *The deadline for (3) is past – any withdrawal now or in the future which does not leave behind a stable, functional, America-friendly Iraqi government will appear to demonstrate that the US military and US policy have been defeated, with the resultant failure of this objective.*

Your commenter seems to think America will have an indefinite time to do what he wants America to do and that the landscape can only get better if we remain. S/he doesn’t envision things getting worse if we stay. Unfortunately, I think your commenter is making bad assumptions. I think things can get worse if we stay.

The Iraqi people have said we are no longer helping the situation and two-thirds want us gone within a year. So far, the sectarian violence is mostly directed at each other. By this time next year, I think that violence will mostly be directed at us. We may soon look back with fond memories when we were only losing 100 soldiers per month.

Second, The Iraqi leaders are meeting with Iran and Syria soon. The Iraqi leaders will soon have to act to expel us so that they do not look like puppets of America.

Third, the Kurdish north has mostly been off the radar, but soon tensions between the Kurds and Turkey may put America in the middle of a shooting war there.

Fourth, what happens if a crisis happens elsewhere in the world?? ALL of our military strength is tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan. What will we respond with if, say, Musharrif is overthrown by his own Taliban/ISI, or Lil’ Kim gets frisky with SK, or something else??

Fifth, our own military (Gen. James Conway, USMC) is now saying we can’t sustain this war without significant commitments of new troops and treasure. In short, who is going to stay there to “complete the job”, your commenter and what army??

It was folly to go into Iraq when Saddam was in a box and Osama (remember him??) was still on the loose. It’s now folly to stay in Iraq when we are not wanted, our military is breaking, and when things CAN get WORSE. WMDs — Mission Accomplished!! Saddam — Mission Accomplished!! Democracy established — Mission Accomplished!! There is nothing left to win and everything to lose. It’s time to leave.

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