WP: Soldiers say Iraq pullout would be devastating

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15582948/

Soldiers say Iraq pullout would be devastating
Leaving fledgling state could help insurgents, betray Iraqis, troops warn

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SYKES, Iraq - For the U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, the war is alternately violent and hopeful, sometimes very hot and sometimes very cold. It is dusty and muddy, calm and chaotic, deafeningly loud and eerily quiet.

The one thing the war is not, however, is finished, dozens of soldiers across the country said in interviews. And leaving Iraq now would have devastating consequences, they said.

With a potentially historic U.S. midterm election on Tuesday and the war in Iraq a major issue at the polls, many soldiers said the United States should not abandon its effort here. Such a move, enlisted soldiers and officers said, would set Iraq on a path to civil war, give new life to the insurgency and create the possibility of a failed state after nearly four years of fighting to implant democracy.

"Take us out of that vacuum -- and it's on the edge now -- and boom, it would become a free-for-all," said Lt. Col. Mark Suich, who commands the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment just south of Baghdad. "It would be a raw contention for power. That would be the bloodiest piece of this war."

[Mass]

1. Why is the Washington Post publishing that the day before an election where

no major political party advocates that in the short term?

[zbdent]

6. desperation ...

[blm]

7. Selling Bush's straw man for him. They won't debate REAL MEN so they

create straw men to debate.

[goforit]

12. Trying to show soldiers backing Bush?..... ROFLMAO!!!!

[BootinUp]

27. The article says some Democrats have

advocated a timeline for a withdrawal. That is true.

[blm]

31. A timeline for withdrawal, yes - immediate pullout - no.

.

[Sperk]

2. yeah sure....more pentagon propaganda

n/t

[saigon68]

18. Just Bullshit Propaganda and now some O-5 opines

Ask the 11-Bravo who gets shot at, if he thinks staying is a good idea.

LOL

[tabasco]

22. OK, since you asked: I say get out now.

I was an 11-B until just this year.

Every person killed due to our illegal invasion is a wasted life.

The blood is on the hands of GW Bush.

[saigon68]

24. Thank you for your service

I value all opinions like yours :-) :-)

[blm]

3. STRAW MAN - NO DEMOCRAT is calling to leave immediately. The plans are

more layered with a July 2007 target, and in another plan for a 2 year target.

MSNBC is framing this for Bush's straw man argument.....as always.

[aquart]

9. Uh, I am. Out. NOW.

It is delusional to think this is going to get better. It ain't.

[blm]

11. At this point the more that leave earlier the better. I corrected my post

it should have read July 2007 as per Kerry-Feingold.

[Bonobo]

4. Except for those that don't! What a stupid headline!!

[aquart]

5. Yes, it would. Bring them home anyway.

Iraq IS a failed state. We failed it. We have to leave. They have fighting and killing to do.

[quiet.american]

8. "...dozens" ? Oh, brother. n/t

[mikeytherat]

13. Yep - 150,000 soldiers and we polled 24. HELLUVA sample size!

:eyes:

mikey_the_rat

[Jim__]

10. Who conducted this survey?

I don't see that reported in the article. Also, "many said". Did any say the other? What are the percentages? I don't see that reported either.

[wakeme2008]

14. IMHO Lt. Col. Mark Suich should be stationed in Iraq for the duration

:grr:

[kurth]

15. Soldiers' families say staying the course would be devastating

while funeral homes heartily welcome the WP endorsement.

[sui generis]

16. they said that about vietnam too

isn't it odd how history repeats itself.

Wonder what our Saigon will look like.

[0007]

17. Bet the Pentagon had to work their ass off finding these halfwits, 'eh?

[PsN2Wind]

19. A better poll could be conducted

Squad by squad have the troops fall in and tell them those who want to stay, stand in place, those that want to leave, get your gear. I'm certain it would take weeks to get enough "Freedom Birds" to bring all those home that have had enough of "bringing Democracy to Iraq".
Those left would be the true "Volunteer military".

[catnhatnh]

20. Hmm....5 officers and 3 nco's quoted.....

...If this WAS a poll, I'd say they oversampled the Lifers,No????

[xchrom]

21. those ''dozens'' have their point of view -- and i have mine.

[deutsey]

23. Pentagon Expands PR Efforts

...the Pentagon has announced its expanding efforts to effect how the media covers the Iraq war. Department officials have established a “rapid response unit” that can provide quick reaction to news reports and provide more military guests for radio and television. A senior military officer tells the New York Times the Pentagon is “completely consumed with trying to control the message on Iraq.”

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431222

[BlueIris]

25. At this point...I don't care. Yank 'em.

Yeah, I have thought about that position long and hard. Still think it's the best way. I also think it's the way the end of the war is going to go down no matter how much longer "we" wait to make it happen.

[onehandle]

26. Sorry, Cheney doesn't care about the opinions of Americans.

He just said so.

[krispos42]

28. Scotty, beam the troops how now!

Oh, wait, that's just science-fiction.

I guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, with cargo planes and ships. Should take, hmmmm, better part of a year. And will be a gradual decline in the US presence.

Should be plenty of time for the Iraqis to adjust to our dimishing presence as we leave.

Thinking about it, the ratio of violence to US presence has been going up anyway the past three years. The probably wouldn't even notice, sadly.

[sidpleasant]

29. "Take us out ... and boom, it would become a free-for-all"

It already is a free-for-all, Lt. Colonel Suich. Patrick Cockburn reported in The Independent last week that Sunni militias have almost encircled Baghdad and are trying to cut off the capital from the rest of the country. They're battling Shiites for the last few towns that haven't fallen. Unfortunately no one in the US seems to have noticed this terrible development.

[saigon68]

30. Certainly not the boot lickers quoted in the story

[High Plains]

32. Well, I hope those soldiers enjoy their stay in Iraq.