British pulling out of Iraq

[laurence]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17246357/

Wow. O.K., so I know I'm probably going to be labelled a troll at this point for all my Iraq threads, but holy cow, I didn't know they were looking to pull out at all!

In a way, it could be an interesting experiment to see if the area they formerly occupied remained stable.

[bssc]

Well, Basra is one of the quieter places in Iraq, this time around. I am not surprised that Tony didn't volunteer to transfer them north.

[TromboneAl]

The article says that 1500 are leaving now and 3000 by end of 2007.

How many does England have there now?

[laurence]

Ah, 7000, so maybe he'll keep the other 4000 there for a while. Not a complete withdrawal. When I first linked the article it didn't have much information, it's been updated.

Still, I think a lot of the political pressure would disssapate if this worked out and U.S. forces were able to shrink to about half their current deployment to just the Baghdad and Anbar province area.

[Caroline]

Gee, I wish our boys and girls were coming home too.

[newguy88]

The american public re elected GWBUSH in 2004.

We are stuck in Iraq until he is gone.

We get what we deserve.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caroline Gee, I wish our boys and girls were coming home too.

Well, I know you mean it affectionately (and the useage has historic precedent), but they are men and women, not boys and girls. Old enough to make their own decisions. They've made an honorable decision to serve in the military. I think it is proper to honor their contributions and to appreciate them. Some pols today are getting considerable mileage by showing "concern for the troops" as a means to bash the present US policy in Iraq." To the extent these servicemembers are portrayed as helpless victims or children, it devalues their service and their sacrifice.

And I want them to come home soon, too.

(awaiting the flame-o-grams)

[JohnEyles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Some pols today are getting considerable mileage by showing "concern for the troops" as a means to bash the present US policy in Iraq."

I don't see why it can't (and isn't) a perfectly sincere feeling
for a politician to say "this war is wrong and our soldiers need
to come home" but "our soldiers there deserve our material
and emotional support as long as they ARE there". I don't
think this is hypocritical, as you seem to suggest.

[DangerMouse]

Hmm must mean there is going to be an election some time soon in the UK, otherwise Tony Blair would have been happy to maintain the status quo. Will be interesting to see if UK participation in Iraq does bring his government down.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyShackleford I don't see why it can't (and isn't) a perfectly sincere feeling for a politician to say "this war is wrong and our soldiers need to come home" but "our soldiers there deserve our material and emotional support as long as they ARE there". I don't think this is hypocritical, as you seem to suggest.

I agree. I don't think these statements are inconsistent.

What I think dishonors servicemembers is the implication that they are hapless, helpless victims. Far from it--they deserve to be recognized and honored for taking a burden for all of us. When these men and women sacrifice, whether it is a missed family gathering due to remote duty or injury in combat, we should recognize this as a byproduct of their voluntary service and not demean it by implying that "these poor kids who don't know any better and had no other options are being killed--we must stop it!"

[laurence]

I work in the defense industry, I have close friends who are in the military, one who is a Navy Captian and one who is a Marine CWO 05, and I agree they both aren't happless kids. But I also agree that one can support the troops and not agree with the war. I think a lot of people have used the troops and the flag as a sheild against the critics too much. I think it would be great if we found out that hey, bringing some troops home didn't lead to unmitigated bloodshed, and things are o.k. after all!

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurence I think it would be great if we found out that hey, bringing some troops home didn't lead to unmitigated bloodshed, and things are o.k. after all!

I think it would be great, too. I also think it would be great to find a million dollars in my back yard.

As many have said " 'Hope' is not a course of action."

[USK Coastie]

My gripe is with the political oppertunists in Washington DC. They overwhelming vote to get us into this, and once the MSM starts their drum beat of negative press they can't run fast enough to become peaceniks. Every member of Congress had an oppertunity to stop this before it started instead they played politics with most voting for the war.

If you're going to send our best citizens into battle you had best not be PC. Give them the lattitude and numbers to win rather than doing it on the cheap.

BTW anybody catch that the insurgents used a WMD yesterday? Seems a volunteer for Allah set off the explosives on his fully loaded Clorine truck in a residental area.
Perhaps they are practicing before biniging that technique to the US.

I wouder how some members of this forum will react when their portfolios tank due to terroist activity within our borders? Will those same people who decry our involvement now demand something be done to protect the US?

[lets-retire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by USK Coastie I wouder how some members of this forum will react when their portfolios tank due to terroist activity within our borders?

I'll just keep going to work. If it happens I hope is does BEFORE I retire.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by USK Coastie I wouder how some members of this forum will react when their portfolios tank due to terroist activity within our borders? Will those same people who decry our involvement now demand something be done to protect the US?

Many of us went through that on 9/11/2001, remember?

[jeff2006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by USK Coastie US. I wouder how some members of this forum will react when their portfolios tank due to terroist activity within our borders? Will those same people who decry our involvement now demand something be done to protect the US?

Oh, please. Mr. Coastie -- don't let them terrists hurt us. In return, we'll give up habeas corpus, trial by jury, the Geneva convention, and even throw in the right to carry toothpaste on airplanes.

[JohnEyles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff2006 In return, we'll give up habeas corpus, trial by jury, the Geneva convention ...

Hot damn, George W Bush has made me proud to be an American these days !

[genghis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem ... They've made an honorable decision to serve in the military. I think it is proper to honor their contributions and to appreciate them. Some pols today are getting considerable mileage by showing "concern for the troops" as a means to bash the present US policy in Iraq." To the extent these servicemembers are portrayed as helpless victims or children, it devalues their service and their sacrifice.

While I agree with your sentiment that these people made the decision to serve, I would argue that they have the right to expect their leader(s) to make sound decisions that are truly in the interest of the security of our country that they are so honorably serving. When decisions to go to war are made for reasons of ego, vindication, or corporate profit (or whatever, since I'm not really sure WHY this deception was instigated) THAT is the ultimate means to devalue their service and sacrifice.

[bssc]

Major General Smedley Butler's comments come to mind. He was a two time medal of honor winner.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

Quote:

I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested.

Not that this sentiment would apply to Halliburton and et al in any qay.

[mickeyd]

British memory seems to be a bit short.

During WWII, I seem to recall the US pitching in on the North Africa campaign to bail out the Brits. Did we all go home after that little skirmish was over? Oh no, the US Army then went in and kicked ass in Italy. Did we then go home? Oh no, the USA had a little date with destiny on June 6, 1944 on a beach in Normandy.

We still have a military presence in Europe, over 60 years later.

If the Brits feel that their work is done in Basra, one would think that they would lend a hand in Baghdad when the USA is sending in over 20,000 combat troops and all of the support troops that they require.