Who Says Less Troops?

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  • Posted By: Newsweekbhg @ 07/12/2008 11:00:58 PM

    I think Bush is trying his best to get McCain elected, its so obvious. He knows McCain is not electable so over the next few months we will see and hear talks like troop draw down, more rebate checks, images of nuclear reactors being blown up in north Korea, Colombian heroic rescues etc. happening. America dont be fooled

  • Posted By: REALITY CHECK @ 07/12/2008 9:50:22 PM

    CRITICS OF THE IRAQ WAR LOSE SIGHT OF AN IMPORTANT FACT. WHILE WE'VE LOST 4,000 TROOPS, THE ISLAMIC EXTREMEISTS HAVE LOST PERHAPS 150,000 WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE ATTACKING OUR INTERESTS AROUND THE WORLD. I'D RATHER WE FIGHT THEM THERE THAN ELSEWHERE.

    • Posted By: PleaseSaveAmerica @ 07/12/2008 10:40:59 PM

      Ummm, I think you have your numbers way off. 150,000 includes mostly innocent men, women and children who would have never killed anyone in their lives.

      And please stop the talking points -- "Islamic Extremeists", "I'd rather fight there than here". Those come straight out of the Bush rule book

    • Posted By: MariaIsabella @ 07/12/2008 9:58:59 PM

      Apparently you forget about the over one hundred thousand innocent Iraqi civilians who have lost their lives, or the two million refugees who fled in fear for their lives. What about them? What right do we have to make their country our home base for fighting terrorism, terrorism that didn't exist there till we invaded them. Oh wait, that's right, they are "casualties of war" so they dont' matter, right?

  • Posted By: EricforObama @ 07/12/2008 10:35:40 PM

    Once again Barack Obama is righ ton target. Every time a big judgement needs to be made, it's Obama who is correct.

    I think the Generals have stopped being afraid of the Bush/Cheney cabal. They are now speaking openly and honestly and now know the lame duck crooks in office can no longer sway public opinion.

  • Posted By: PleaseSaveAmerica @ 07/12/2008 10:35:36 PM

    People...it is great that things are going well in Iraq (assuming you believe the reports and all that, which I have no reason no to as of yet).

    However, you Bush/Iraq war supporters better not use this as an opportunity to start gloating about the "successful" war in Iraq. I hate it when people do that. Things have gone so bad for so long for all the wrong reasons, but when something good happens, all of a sudden the war was the right thing to do. It absolutely, positively was not the right thing to do. Undeniable. Irrefutable. Whether we succeed or not, all of our current troops should have been in Afghanistan, period! End of story! Could you imagine how successful we could have been had we been fighting the war that we were *supposed* to be fighting.

    So, this is not a victory for Bush at all. So you Republicans and Bush supporters need to check yourselves. Don't try to make a horrible mistake into this monumental achievement. Bush got *lucky* because our soldiers did some good work and fighting. Like said in White Men Can't Jump -- "Even the sun shines on a dog's ass some days."; and that quote holds most true for Bush.

  • Posted By: underdog @ 07/12/2008 10:17:38 PM

    Its about time we drew down in Iraq. Unfortunatly we now have to build up in Afghanistan. We fought the wrong war, Iraq, for the wrong reasons. We were doing well in Afghanistan before Iraq. Now we have to go back. This administration will go down as one of the worst. We will win in Iraq for now, but at what cost. Over 4000 of our soldiers killed, an economy struggling with the burden of the cost, and now, we have to go back to Afgahnistan to finish what we started there nearly six years ago. At least with the election the Bush and Chaney nightmare will be over.

  • Posted By: techresmgt @ 07/12/2008 10:12:26 PM

    Democracy, sanctity of life, freedom, personal privacy, racial and religious tolerance on all sides, trustworthy government; all descriptions of ideals we have whittled away since 911, slowly but so very surely. Sometimes we 'talk a good game' but when the rubber hits the road, we're all talk. We need to change that. Using 911 as a precursor to invade Iraq will go down in history as the biggest trick ever pulled on American citizens; and no one got fired, impeached, or held accountable. How stupid are we, the people?

  • Posted By: oldirish @ 07/12/2008 10:09:56 PM

    Well of course we can reduce the troop levels. The oil deals are done.

  • Posted By: Thomas Klaber @ 07/12/2008 10:02:45 PM

    This demonstrates what some americans already know: that the war in Iraq was and is still a fools errand, based on false intell, that has done nothing to enhance our security! The argument that " if we don't defeat them there, they will follow us here" is utter nonsense! They are already here, but our attention is focused elswhere! the sooner we recognize this cosmic blunder we have made the better. It's sad that it takes an election cycle to make some people see the light! Meanwhile, people , Iraqi and American, are dying!

  • Posted By: maramara @ 07/12/2008 9:50:37 PM

    Galasso, Are you living in the US? Where you in a Comma or what do you mean when you say "John McCain never said anything about permanent bases" Take a look at this video of John McCain http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VFknKVjuyNk. McCain wants to be in Iraq as long as 100 years even if there is a decline in violence. Thats why he says it is not important went US troops come home. Thsi McCain man makes me sick because this wars has cost Americans both blood and money.

  • Posted By: lenkates1 @ 07/12/2008 9:48:44 PM

    Bush and his cynincal and thieving ilk have no regard for anyone else than one another and for lining their pockets. So now, in order to try to win an election in oder to hold the country hostage anther 4 years, they will suddleny make a move toward pulling out of Iraq. Now we can see how they used our armed forces for their own ends, not caring about our armed forces lives or our armed forces welfare! I hope my fellow Americans are wise enought to see this scam, and, thus, to vote the Republicans our of office! Lenny

  • Posted By: almostsane1 @ 07/12/2008 8:19:18 PM

    over a year ago i said that come june or july or 2008 we would start to see the drawdown in Iraq due to the Preidential race. This would be an easy way for the Republican party to get back on better grounds with the American public.

    • Posted By: MariaIsabella @ 07/12/2008 9:42:29 PM

      You don't keep up on current events obviously. Bush, McCain, and their puppet commander are completely against drawing down the troops. How you are trying to turn this around as a Republican victory is beyond me. Hate to be the one to inform you, but this is a plus for the Democrats, not the Republicans. It makes McCain look completely out of touch with what's going on in Iraq. He has said over and over that the Iraqis aren't capable of defending their country till at least the end of his first term if elected. McCain wants to keep troops in there for years, and refuses to talk about a timetable. The Iraqis are demanding a timetable for withdrawel, and wants no permanent bases in Iraq, like Bush and McCain. want. Nothing that the Iraqis are asking for, and nothing in this report, is in line with what Bush and McCain have been saying at all.

  • Posted By: ploughman @ 07/12/2008 9:08:56 PM

    Combine this with the Maliki comments and it's a pretty big opening to declare victory and get out. The U.S. could still have troops in Kuwait, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and on carriers in the Gulf if needed. Not taking the opportunity increases suspicion that Bush and McCain want to have PERMANENT BASES, something that would be bitterly opposed and a constant source of tension and attack if it happened.

    • Posted By: Galasso @ 07/12/2008 9:37:50 PM

      John McCain never said anything about permanent bases. He said we would have a "presence" in Iraq. Having spent almost three years there, I can tell you there are few places in that country where we would want to sustain a "base". The current thinking is to have a residual Special Forces (Foreign Internal Development) contingent to remain long enough to ensure the Iraqis can get their security apparatus and logistical pipelines (that Bremer dismantled) back into operation and then there will likely be training missions over the next few years like we do in other Middle Eastern and Latin American countries. John McCain was against the manner in which this war was prosecuted - especially in the period following the invasion. Bremer dismantled the Army and police in order to defang the Bath Party. What he didn't take into consideration was that ALL of the soldiers were required to join the Bathists - even if they were opposed to it. McCain vociferously criticized the conduct of the aftermath of the war - to no avail. Linking the policies of the current administration to John McCain - and mischaracterizing his remarks on how long we "stay" in Iraq is disinformation and the centerpiece of the Democratic challenge this election year. This is not an "opportunity" to withdraw. That is normally called a "retreat" in the military. General Petreaus has a working timetable that requires certain measureable events to occur before we beat a headlong retreat out of the country at the peril of the soldiers who are now providing the security for the Iraqis as they begin taking responsibility for the various sectors in country, most especially the Iranian border area.

  • Posted By: curt46 @ 07/12/2008 9:14:06 PM

    Fewer\ troops, not less

  • Posted By: rube @ 07/12/2008 8:45:53 PM

    The republicans are not talking about draw-down its the Pentagon and the Dems! What you told your wife was wrong sir! The real story is how Iraq oil is now being sold (bidding) to international companies such as the U.S.! Its about money sir-oil!
    Here is another example of you repubs making good to our nation! So the Bush administration has advocated sanctions and rants on about a possible war with Iran over and over- the real truth is the administration has allowed their corporate buds to brake all and any existing records or trade with Iran! Look up the definitions of fascist /hypocrite. Sound familiar? come to mind!

  • Posted By: almostsane1 @ 07/12/2008 8:22:19 PM

    I told my wife over a year ago that come right around this time we would see talks or even troop reductions accuring. This is the way the Republican Party is "making good" again with the American public.

    • Posted By: rube @ 07/12/2008 8:45:35 PM

      The republicans are not talking about draw-down its the Pentagon and the Dems! What you told your wife was wrong sir! The real story is how Iraq oil is now being sold (bidding) to international companies such as the U.S.! Its about money sir-oil!
      Here is another example of you repubs making good to our nation! So the Bush administration has advocated sanctions and rants on about a possible war with Iran over and over- the real truth is the administration has allowed their corporate buds to brake all and any existing records or trade with Iran! Look up the definitions of fascist /hypocrite. Sound familiar? come to mind!

    • Posted By: rube @ 07/12/2008 8:44:33 PM

      The republicans are not talking about draw-down its the Pentagon and the Dems! What you told your wife was wrong sir! The real story is how Iraq oil is now being sold (bidding) to international companies such as the U.S.! Its about money sir-oil!
      Here is another example of you repubs making good to our nation! So the Bush administration has advocated sanctions and rants on about a possible war with Iran over and over- the real truth is the administration has allowed their corporate buds to brake all and any existing records or trade with Iran! Look up the definitions of fascist /hypocrite. Sound familiar?

  • Posted By: odiethedog @ 07/12/2008 8:17:45 PM

    Leon Panetta? OMG, Newsweek has really lost it! So much for objectivity.

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