The architect of our defeat in Vietnam seeks a mulligan. Henry, you are a looser. Suffer the ignominy of history. Let the American Soldier continue to kick terrorist booty where ever it may be found.
Deja Vu, all over again.
It is very simple. We cannot leave Iraq before we crush the terrorists there. We leave before we do this and we face consequences worst than any nightmare we can imagine. Therefore we stay and win, so please save us the political crap and analysis that you and your ilk give us on a daily basis.
Practically speaking, the US is no longer in Iraq for Iraq; we are there because Iraq is the best place to be in the region to do several important things.
First, we keep Iran under some degree of control, or are able to squash them quickly and decisively, if needs be.
Second, we bust up the Muslim nuclear proliferation in the region, which if we leave would quite possibly lead to a medium large nuclear exchange of over 100 nukes. And yes, large enough so that even in the US* we would get fallout contamination.
Third, that is by far the most unstable region on the planet right now, and by being there we forestall any number of wars and other conflicts.
Fourth, we are also protecting much of the world’s oil supply, whose sudden cut off could plunge the world into a deep depression. “No blood for oil” also means “no oil for food, industry, or transportation.”
If the next President is a smart republican, he will keep the headquarters of the Africa Command in Iraq, to take advantage of this situation we have paid for. If he (or she) is a democrat, typically with no concept of foreign policy, we could face a disastrous and rapid collapse in the region.
And without our forces in Iraq, it could cost 300 BILLION dollars and a lot of dead bodies just to get us back to where we are right now.
“Saudi Arabia and Jordan dread Shiite domination of Iraq, especially if the Baghdad regime threatens to become a satellite of Iran.”
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If they “dread” it so bad, maybe they ought to help carry the load. The US has to do all the heavy hauling in the Middle East...and all we get for our effort is criticism from the freeloaders.