Endgame
The United States and Britain are planning to pull all their troops out of Iraq by the spring of 2007, two British newspapers reported in their Sunday editions, quoting unnamed senior defense ministry sources.
The Sunday Telegraph said the planned pull-out followed an acceptance by the two governments that the presence of foreign troops in Iraq was now a large obstacle to securing peace.
The Pentagon is denying that such plans exist, but let’s face it: the writing is on the wall.
I’d like to think we’ve learned something from this whole terrible ordeal, but I’m pretty sure that we haven’t. I’ll post more on this when I’m not so tired.
On an unrelated note, I just got back from watching Night Watch. It’s a pretty durn good movie, if you’re into Russian vampires and shit.
On an unrelated note, I just got back from watching Night Watch. It’s a pretty durn good movie, if you’re into Russian vampires and shit.
Russian vampires, yes.
Coprophilia, not so much.
They have to redeploy them to Iran.
Maybe I’m Clairvoyant.
Should We Stay Or Should We Go?
I’m sure a large drawdown in 2006 is a necessity (http://radamisto.blogspot.com/2005/11/troop-drawdown.html) but I wonder how reliable the Telegraph and the Mirror are.
As I recall, the Telegraph was the willing source of the smear about Kerry and Alexandra Polier.
That’s not much time! We have to hurry to begin blaming Iraqis for the clusterfuck.
But not Chalabi, be careful to make it clear he is blameless, it’s the man-on-the-street Iraqi that deserves scorn.
And the damn UN, it’s all their fault.
Well, maybe, but they’re defining “withdrawal of troops” NOT to include all the people on the “enduring bases” to be left behind. (Hey, “left behind” — where have I heard that before?)
Mr Protevi,
Great link, but I really don’t think we are going to get to stay. After withdrawing most of our troops, the ones left would be quickly overrun. We will lose the bases and that is why I think we need to destroy them.
When you believe, as I do, that the whole reason for the invasion of Iraq was the Neocon and PNAC long-stated desire for a permanent American military presence on the oilfields of the middle east, then you have to recognize that “withdrawl” does not mean reduction to zero. We will keep about 30,000 troops, air power and prepositioned supplies for as long as these types of idealogues are in power. The only thing that will reverse the growing American militarism is for progressives to get control of the American Government, and that’s not going to happen under Warner, Clinton or McCain, so get used to it.
Also, spiiderweb, you cannot overrun a hardened permanent base without a lot of troops, supporting fires (arty), and if not air support, at least air DEFENSE. The Iraqis have none of that, and could not mass for an attack like you describe without being chopped up by arty and air.
mikey
As is usual with foreign films released in America, the Nightwatch was heavily edited. The original Russian lacks the grating rock music and includes a few more scenes that gives the movie a better storyline. The Daywatch has been released in Russia and I can’t wait to see it.
-Bob
Bob- yeah, my friends and I were wondering what the hell that Killers song was doing during the end credits 🙂
And who isn’t?
You see “cut and walk to the nearest exit” is so, so, very different from “cutting and running.”
It’s more more dignified somehow…
I hear tell that the insurgents will sit quiet during the withdrawal (Bush said so), waiting to strike until the foreigners are gone.
I sure hope so — a period of peace and quiet is just what the new regime in Iraq needs to improve conditions.
And of course, with the crusaders gone and conditions improved, how many will quit the insurgency?
Personally, I think regardless of how bad things get over there, Shrub is gonna stubbornly “stay the course.” If the military really begins to disintegrate, perhaps they can start a pull-out and just not tell Shrub. After all, that worked pretty well for Saddam’s WMD guys.
On an unrelated note, I just got back from watching Night Watch. It’s a pretty durn good movie, if you’re into Russian vampires and shit.
I gotta’ speak up here, the vampires were only a small part of the film, really. They seemed to me to be the sort of “canon fodder” level troops for Day Watch. Similar, I think, to the shapeshifters in Night Watch. Can’t wait to lay my hands on the translation of the original novel, ye gods I’m hoping for more character development. Particularly of Olga, I just adored her.
Oh, hey, for anyone still lurking about this thread, there;s an interesting article up by Tom Hayden at the Huffington Post regarding this very subject. Um, troop withdrawal, not the Night Watch.
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