In the meantime, Iraq descends into anarchist squalor days after U.S. troops leave for political reasons.
Gosharooty! Why not just have them exit via Iran if The One was planning to invade anyway? Didn’t want to embroil a contiguous state in a conflict with Iran? Well, dad gum it. Israel may not be contiguous, but deploying from Israel against Iran might well inflame the entire region, including Iraq, and aircraft carriers also can work as troop transport as well, without anyone even twigging it. Gee willikers.
“Iraq descends into anarchist squalor days after U.S. troops leave for political reasons.”
I was of the opinion they left for simpler reasons than that; they left under cover of darkness for fear of attacks from “our” Iraqis. What was left for them to do in Iraq, with the Baath Party out, Saddam dead, and Iraqis devolving into what they were before?