In U.S., Fears Are Voiced of a Too-Rapid Iraq Exit

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 — The Bush administration's decision to speed the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq and replace American troops with Iraqis is bringing fresh warnings from Congress and policy experts against pulling out of Iraq too early and letting election-year considerations dictate Iraq policy.

Much of the anxiety about Iraq is being expressed by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and those raising questions include both supporters and critics of the war.

Even as Gen. John P. Abizaid, the American military commander in the Middle East, was saying that the schedule "won't be driven by political concerns," a debate over the pace of a turnover expanded to foreign officials, military policy experts, political operatives and many others, with criticism being heard in places normally friendly to the administration.

(snip)

"To announce withdrawals when the number of attacks and deaths of American military are going up is not reasonable or logical," Mr. McCain said in an interview. "If the American military can't do it, then certainly half-trained Iraqis cannot."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/14/international/middleeast/14POLI.html

[MrSoundAndVision]

1. Sure Johnny but...

what is it? Subversion? McDonald's on every corner? What? These people should decide their own fates, just as all people should.

[karlschneider]

2. To which I say "If the Iraqis can't do it, the half-trained Americans sure

as hell can't."

This is not a slam on our troops, they are obviously trained to break stuff and kill people, not to be pacifiers or domestic cops. So it looks like there's really nothing in place to fix the mess our Dear Leader has made.

[mikehiggins]

3. mail program has gone mad

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. Remember the 120,000 new troops that are being called up?...

...they will go into Iraq as replacements, while the frontline troops move on to Syria and Iran.

They've already threatened Syria with hiding WMDs, and they just threatened Iran...again...over a nuclear weapons program they don't have. Any of that sound familiar?

Meanwhile, back home, the GOP controlled Congress will enact legislation for a universal military draft.


Sorry!! This was supposed to be a reply to Post #5.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. The Bushies need troops freed up for Iran and Syria...

...same tactic they used when they thought Afghanistan was finished.

[mikehiggins]

5. The Bush League is ready to cut and run.

Jesus, this is pathetic. What does Bush think is going to happen if he pulls out of Iraq? Does he think Daddy is going to save his ass again?

If he does "give authority to the Iraqis" and down size the US military presence ("right size it") the moral bankruptcy of his policies should be too much even for the conservatives to bear. I fully expect Rush will start main-lining again if Bush abandons the Iraqis to their fate. Coulter will decide Dubya is a closet liberal, like all those blue blood yankees like Kennedy and Dean.

I would expect to see McCain challenge him for the GOP nomination if that happens, or if it looks like that is what is happening.

This is simply amazing.

I wonder if we'll even be able to get our troops out, or if we'll have to pay ransom for them. Maybe leaving all our M1 Abrams tanks behind.

[mikehiggins]

6. Sorry. Computer glitch caused double posting

[hang a left]

8. I have always wondered about that. How do we get them all out?

How would you like to be one of the last few thousand troops there, while we were bailing.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. It's all a smokescreen...see my Post #7.

[pfitz59]

10. Nixon said this is '68.......

6 years later we were still in Vietnam. Halliburton,...er...the US aint leving soon.

[pansypoo53219]

11. who wants to bet

Sadaam is waiting for it.

[leesa]

12. The schedule is ALWAYS driven by political concerns

Dumb shit McCain pretending that these are not the people of Iraq fighting against the Americans. Did these people simply watch too many cowboy and WWII movies??

[PurityOfEssence]

13. Hey, "election-year considerations" got us into Iraq in the first place

Everything this administration does is political.

Wouldn't it be a kick if the greasy little trumped-up invented crisis that they rammed through in front of the '02 election to settle old scores and steal riches ricocheted on them? Making bad decisions to influence the '04 election will be much harder to cloak what with the current mood.

Depressing.