President Announces Exit Strategy

[jtexas]

Heard it this morning on the radio, audio clip from a press conference this week:

"We're not leaving, not while I'm president."

I'd started to suspect as much, although I'd been hoping that he was planning on winning the war - to find out he has no intention of ending it is a bit, well, depressing.

Audio source file: http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgC...81156428148273&getUnderwriting=1&mswmext=.asx

time index 2:02

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Take off your "I hate GWB" glasses.

I'll start getting riled up about this after they come up with an exit strategy for Germany and Korea.

Dont you think it would be a really good idea to keep a large military precence in that area?

Ken

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

We have a military presence all over Europe, not just Germany. We also have bases in Japan as well.

However equating these forces to the those that operate in the mid east ignores some very basic differences. Here are a few that come to mind

1) EF (European Forces, to include Japan as well) are not engaged in active combat.

2) EF are in place as a result of negotiated treaties and compacts with the representitive government of host nations.

3) EF forces are in place to be able to respond to threats outside the host country. (Warsaw pact nations and N. Korea)

4) EF forces are not in place to control the civil population of host countries. In fact service personal in EF countries can be brought to trial by the host country if warranted.

That said we are going to be in Iraq for some time.
Many errors in judgement were made by the current administration in their rush to war. I can ennumerate them if you wish. However that is all water under the bridge for now.

I wish I had an answer for what timetable or event driven calander needs to be adopted for the situation in Iraq but I just don't have one. I wish we could get some of the moderate Arab nations to help out but that will never happen.

I strongly supported the decision to go into Afganistan but never felt Iraq warranted the enormous resources it has and will continue to consume.

Regards

 

[oddjob]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Good point Jtex

I really feel bad about my military service occupation overseas....Okinawa, Japan, Spain, and North Africa, sniff!...some of my old buddies might still be over there(sniff).

 

[txswinner]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Ken, You occupy after an enemy has surrendered, I do not see that in sight. Perhaps you could provide numbers as to soldiers killed and wounded in combat during the occupancy of Germany and Japan. I showed those numbers on a thread for Iraq this past week.

This country entered Iraq without a military plan but rather an idea of conquest by many who have never faced battle and have no military training.

Keys to winning a fight.

1. Identify the enemy.
2. Identify the goal.
3. Get strategy from people with a clue.
4. Reach the goal and end the fight as soon as possible.

Notice the errs in our way. What now, back up and see what our goals should have been and evaluate if they can be reached.

1. The enemy is terrorist
2. Eliminate or minimize terrorism
3. Can it be done in the present battle field?
I say no, so it is time to withdraw, regroup and face the battle with a realistic plan.

Bush #1 followed these basic military rules to a "t" and we identified, defeated, accomplished mission and got out. This ain't happening and obviously is not going to happen.

BRING HOME THE TROOPS TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.

 

[txswinner]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Not sure who initially said this but is often true:

"Sometimes the better art of Valor is too retreat to fight again another day."

BRING HOME THE TROOPS!

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

And I say we are fighting terrorists in Iraq and we should keep a large military in the area.

Perhaps you should stop calling for the troops to come home and call for the president to let the military take off the gloves and go kick some a$$.

That would be a very valid criticism of GWB.

Bringing home the troops would only allow the jihadists to believe we have left in defeat.

Ken

 

[rodbolt]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

dang ole Gehaw had the gloves off, he had the troops, he had the generals, the generals wanted an additional 6 months to modify and preposition gear and retrain troops. they all either got fired or quietly faded away.
the ole rummy took over and ran the war his way,
here we are today.
we are not fighting terroists in Iraq, they had none before we invaded as per Bush himself the otherday in his press conference.
what we are doing is creating more terrorists.
now ole rummy and bubba are gonna recall about 12K troops that already did their job and are back home working and raising families.
the plan is the recall will be for 12-18 months and the army has enacted a stop-loss which means ya cant get out when your contract is up.
12K troops wont do anything but insure more of the same.
either drop in another 300 K or get the heck out.

 

[PW2]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

W also said in the same press conference that our strategy is to "Help the Iraqi people achieve their dream of a representitive democracy"

Now that may be a noble dream, but it is not a strategy. Certainly not a military strategy. Which explains why the troops will remain until presumably the next president has the courage to recognize the folly and get them out.

You can't win anything militarily until you have a strategy for winning militarily, and we don't seem to know even what a strategy is.

Now if we really wanted to succeed in Iraq, the first thing you need to do is disarm the various militias, which we are not doing, and Malaki has shown no interest in doing. He knows exactly what he is doing, and we are so locked into this politically that we can't possibly admit a failure without losing politically.

It's sad, and how many innocent Iraqis andUS troops are going to die because of it?

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Ken, approximately how many Americans have come home from Europe in bodybags over the last couple weeks? Where exactly in Europe are we fighting a war?

Which part of my post did you interpret as commenting on the size of our military presence there?

Which part of my post did you interpret as "I hate GWB"?

Surely not the part about where I'd hoped he would try to win the war?

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Yes, we are fighting terrorists in Iraq...only because we are there...most of these insurgents, terrorists or whatever would not be active if we had not gone over there. These are not people that were activly training to come over here and get us. If there were that many of them active at that time attacks on US interests would have been a near daily event.

Many citizens truly support this decision...however I'm willing to bet that if they were asked to "belly up to the bar" and pay their families share of the costs so far they would rethink their position.

Current cost of the war? 309,400,000,000

Current population? 290,558,501

Do the math... $1032.00 for each
member of your family


Me? I support the troops as best I can...I have loaned diving gear to a Naval service member so he could do some recreational diving while on assignment.

I also made a bunch of beef jerky and sent to a friends son, a Marine fighting in Falujah...(sp?).

I support the troops, but not the misguided administration that put them in harms way while ignoring the advice of the leaders of these troops....



By the way, here are the requirements to get a US Army
Occupation Service Medal.

Basically it spells out when the US Command considered these forces to be "Occupational".

Germany (May 9, 1945 to May 5, 1955) Austria (May 9, 1945 to July 7, 1955)
Berlin (May 9, 1945 to October 3, 1990)
Italy (May 9, 1945 to September 15, 1947)
Japan (September 3, 1945 to April 27, 1952)
Korea (September 3, 1945 to June 29, 1949)

 

[--GQ--]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

"Exit Strategy".....what the H, I and J? You Libs are delirious. We can't leave until WMD is found; the reason why we went to war, DUH. Hello!

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

parrothead, I have paid my share many times over.

Notice I didn't even make fun of the President when he said our strategy is to make the Iraqi's dreams come true and our tactics is to not leave there.

 

[Plainsman]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

BRING HOME THE TROOPS TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.

So if we Cut and Run and 500,000 people are murdered and raped, hey it's OK. But some some NG troops have a dog bark at someone in a prison, we are inhumane. Put on the front page for months.
Wiil you scream out about the 500,000? No libs won't, they say Not my problem, it was GWB fault they we killed. Even though Sadam killed and raped, murdered may be a better word, thousands in the last 20 years.

 

[Plainsman]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

Perhaps you could provide numbers as to soldiers killed and wounded in combat during the occupancy of Germany and Japan.

407,300
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

The "I hate GWB" glasses are worn by many. They imply that whatever you may see in this world, GWB is at fault for it. Your dislike of GWB blinds your judgement and does not allow you to see the repercussions of your suggestions.

My point is not that there are any deaths in Europe, my point is that in many countires where we fought wars and occupied them, we never pulled out or brought our troops home.

I hope we can build a good miltary presence in Iraq. I hope we dont ever "bring the troops home". Because by having the troops there, we can quickly respond to any conflicts in the area. I hope our troops there will soon add an amount of stability in the area.

Ken

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

How bout peering around those "GWB's Poots Don't Stink" glasses every once in a while?

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

How bout peering around those "GWB's Poots Don't Stink" glasses every once in a while?

I do all the time. I vote yes for impeachement for failing to control our borders. Illegal immigration has spiraled out of control since he took over.

Ken

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

How bout peering around those "GWB's Poots Don't Stink" glasses every once in a while?

I do all the time. I vote yes for impeachement for failing to control our borders. Illegal immigration has spiraled out of control since he took over.

Ken

okay then, I take back all the bad stuff I ever said about ya.

8)

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: President Announces Exit Strategy

LOL at jtex.

BTW, I am deeply offended by your motto next to your dog.

I always wonder why you can prick your finger, but you cant....