What *IS* the US military's mission in Iraq?

[underpants]

Among the phrases that pass by the ears on a daily basis this one hit me yesterday in the official White House response to the families of the Ohio Marines.

ABC WNT said that the White House said that "The President wants the troops home as soon as possible too but not until the mission in Iraq is complete" -something like that.

So... What IS the mission in Iraq?

Has it ever been stated concretely?

Does "build a democracy....bring freedom and liberty to the Middle East (is that Iraq?)....freedom is on the march...." and all that dribble suffice as a mission statement?

Does anyone know if anyone (pundits included) have ever actually said what the mission is? Generally missions have a defined attainable goal that is easy to distinguish though maybe not that easy to achieve.

Has the mission changed?
Was there ever a mission statement?

Anyone? Anything?

[leftchick]

1. It appears as though the mission for the grunts on the ground

is just to stay alive. As far as bushco**s mission it is apparent they need their puppets installed and they in turn ask the US to stay on in those Bases indefinitely.

[indepat]

2. The mission in Iraq is to achieve whatever goals the neocons had in mind

[underpants]

4. Good. As long as it is clearly stated

:eyes:

I think this would be a good point to bring up when someone spouts off the (he-manly chest pumping acting like they are all military studdish and such) "When they GET THE MISSION DONE!!"

"Well, what is the mission?"

"Uh well democracy..freedom....

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. mission? what mission? We don't need a stinkin mission

this is a way to reward friendly corporations, dismay the world and confound political enemies.

[Ripley]

5. They won't say what it is now, so they can make one up when they

withdraw some troops right before the next election. The so-called mission will then be declared accomplished. Again.

[DistressedAmerican]

6. Done Already. Saddam Disarmed. Let's Come On Home!

Mission Accomplished! Right?

[oneighty]

7. And the mission is

Free access to Mid East oil unencumbered by international law. One day China will say "Two can play that game" and the final wars will start.

I bet.

180

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. The "mission" is to "stay the course" until the mission is accomplished.

AKA: Catch-22.

[underpants]

9. I'd laugh

if it weren't so scary.

I think that really is the mission.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. Prevent the Euro from taking root there.... preventing the French

and Russian oil contracts from operating as planned... selling off many Iraqi state owned assets... controlling the oil fields and making Iraqis strangers in their own land.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/19293/
The (New and Improved) Bremer Orders

A sampling of the most important Orders demonstrates the economic imprint left behind by Bremer:

Order #39 allows for the following: (1) privatization of Iraq's 200 state-owned enterprises; (2) 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses; (3) "national treatment" of foreign firms; (4) unrestricted, tax-free remittance of all profits and other funds; and (5) 40-year ownership licenses. Thus, it allows the U.S. corporations operating in Iraq to own every business, do all of the work, and send all of their money home. Nothing needs to be reinvested locally to service the Iraqi economy, no Iraqi need be hired, no public services need be guaranteed, and workers' rights can easily be ignored. And corporations can take out their investments at any time.

Order #40 turns the banking sector from a state-run to a market-driven system overnight by allowing foreign banks to enter the Iraqi market and to purchase up to 50 percent of Iraqi banks.

Order #49 drops the tax rate on corporations from a high of 40 percent to a flat rate of 15 percent. The income tax rate is also capped at 15 percent.

Order #12 enacted on June 7, 2003 and renewed on February 24, 2004, suspends "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges for goods entering or leaving Iraq, and all other trade restrictions that may apply to such goods." This led to an immediate and dramatic inflow of cheap consumer products, which has essentially wiped out all local providers of the same products. This could have significant long-term implications for domestic production as well.

Order #17 grants foreign contractors, including private security firms, full immunity from Iraq 's laws. Even if they do injure a third party by killing someone or causing environmental damage such as dumping toxic chemicals or poisoning drinking water, the injured third party can not turn to the Iraqi legal system, rather, the charges must be brought to U.S. courts under U.S. laws.

Order #77 established the Board of Supreme Audit and named its president and his two deputies. The Board oversees inspectors in every Ministry with wide-ranging authority to review government contracts, audit classified programs, and prescribe regulations and procedures.

[underpants]

11. Conservative paradise

Wow maybe they can all stop over at Gitmo on the way.

That is the closest thing I have seen yet to a listing of Bremer's 100 (+?) rules. Thanks. Wasn't there one about hanging your arm out a car window or the 10-2 position on the steering wheel?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. To ensure the the Iraqis end up with an unemployment rate that

rivals Saudi Arabia's. Again, a CIA source.... oops!! Mission accomplished!!!

Iraq:
Unemployment rate:
25% to 30% (2004 est.)


http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/iz.html





And another possible goal in Iraq is to get their debt somewhere in the vicinity of ours.... and we hold the paper.... now wouldn't that be a "mission accomplished".

Debt - external:
$125 billion (2004 est.)

[evermind]

12. To install and protect a US client state, so the oil can be grabbed (nt)

[TomClash]

14. And all this

from the Administration that opposed "nation-building."

[still_one]

15. just what project for a new american century says

permanent presence in Iraq. They are NOT building fourteen permanent bases if that wasn't the case

too bad for them, and us, that in the course of time, and many more casulties, it won't happen. We are in the middle of a civil war, which will evnetually end up a Shiite theocracy, alligned closely with Iran.

[spindoctor]

16. That is always a problem with war.

Motivations for going to war are never honorable so they can hardly be made public.

Maybe it is part of the reason that they now try to change the frame from 'war' to 'global struggle'.

[Karenina]

19. Nassy nazi-like lizards they are indeed...

[RebelOne]

17. You mean you didn't get the memo?

They are over there fighting for our freedom. And they are fighting them over there so we won't be fighting them over here.
:sarcasm:

[sam sarrha]

18. a Blood Sacrifice for continued profits for Haliburton...Duh..

[spanone]

20. Mission to steal oil and set up permanent bases in Mid-East.

[pretzel4gore]

21. the mission is to buy bush time until defacto martial law's in place

the bushpigs care more their shoeshines then iraq...once the time passes enough with bushit filling pigmedia 24/7 then they just round up their enemys (media discuss if tom fukked nicole, and mike jacksons suicide, and oj confession- biggest news in history- and of course obl convert to christianity etc) and use nukes on iraq to scare iran/russia china etc....
cheap crooks think in cheap melodramatic ways
joke: what the difference between a 'mepublican' giggle and mepublican fart?
both prove rove is innocent! (according to fox'news')
>if you don't understand the joke, then you aren't living in georgebushamerica :)
>nother joke: if the sheep's in the pasture, and the cows are in the corn, where's the devil?
he hiding in the little shrub like trees...
:)

[soup]

22. If they released that information to the public,

it would tip off 'the enemy'.

We're on track, although there may be difficulties ahead. Progress is being made, although the insurgency is 'capable, adaptable and intent'. The process is moving forward, although the unknowns that are known are not known. Training of Iraqi troops and police forces continues, although any reporting 'won't include any detailed, unclassified assessments of the state of readiness of the Iraqi military', because that would be 'mindless'. Postwar recovery efforts are ongoing, corners are being turned, stay the course, on the right path, and 'calls for an early withdrawal from Iraq are a mistake that will only embolden terrorists'. It will take as long as it takes, because to suggest anything less would undermine the morale of the troops.

According to H.R. 2601, "The United States should leave Iraq only when national security and foreign policy goals related to a free and stable Iraq have been achieved" and whatever that means, it was good enough for congress, so it should be good enough for you, dammit. If you question it, well, then you're just unAmerican, encouraging the 'enemy', and flat out too inquisitive for your own good.

Pack your Underoos, and wait at the curb, the 'detention and lawful interrogation of detainees at Guantanamo is essential to the war on terrorism' and I'm pretty damn sure you need an attitude adjustment.

In other words: I have No freaking idea and wonder if anyone does. n/t

[niallmac]

23. ...waiting to be greeted with flowers and cheers?

[wli]

24. get oil, stop euros, set up bases, prep launchpad vs. Iran & SCO

a.k.a. naive geopolitics.

[Poiuyt]

25. I thought the mission was to get Bush re-elected

He wanted to be a War President because that would give him the "political capital" to push his agenda through.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. to the boots on the ground, stay alive

to the CiC, what is the reason of the hour?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

27. Good point, that is never pursued in media coverage.

I see the REAL missions as:

-get shrubco reelected (mission accomplished)
-perpetual war (so far successful)
-military foothold in Middle East (kinda successful)
-control oil supply in Middle East (not successful so far)


I suspect if shrubco reps were pressed on this question their answer would be something on the order of "establishing a secure democratic government in Iraq".

Then, the next question should be, how is that endpoint defined?