Okay, help me think this through.

[EC]

It is bad (dangerous) to announce a withdrawel date, because? (Then Iran will attack, or Syria?) (didn't Allawi meet with Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamanei in Iran and come to some sort of agreement? I seem to remember reading about that last month or so?)( in 2003 http://english.daralhayat.com/world_news/10-2003/Article-20031018-4fa9ba8c-c0a8-01ed-0033-278ab3d46d53/story.html and this in 2004 <snip> In the 45-minute discussion, Mr. Allawi also described his personal relationship with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, saying he consults with the cleric on legal and religious matters. <snip> http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20041221-094738-6305r_page2.htm And this in 2005 http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2005&m=01&d=15&a=1 <snip> Indeed, there now appeared to be a pattern of cooperation developing between the Iraqi interim Government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and the governments of Iran and Syria, because of the apparent belief that the US could not provide protection to the Baghdad Administration. <snip>

So, I think we are being nieve, if we think they can't take care of themselves. It would be better for us to pull out, including the civilian contractors, let the Iraqi's take the jobs (get back to work and income) and let the new government handle it...


And then there was a newscast I was watching last night on Jim Lehrer, and they were showing clips of Iraq, and one was of a taxi driver who said (pharaphrasing)"We are free of one monster, now, we have another." And he was speaking of us..


Since the enemies are insurgants - rather Iraqi -(Allawi said the terrorists left and all he believes are left are insurgents) if we announced a withdrawel date, wouldn't that take the wind out of their sails? I'm thinking the fighting by these Iraqi's is because they are afraid we are never going to leave, so they have to drive us out. So rather than be chased out like in Vietnam, wouldn't it be preferable to announce a date, and leave?

Yes, we completely destroyed their country, made it worse than it was, but which is better? To leave and let them rebuild, and settle any governing problems they will have from the outside,or civil wars, with U.N. consultants etc. or to keep on killing and achieving nothing?

I have another problem with the constitution they are drawing up, what makes ** and his ilk, think that a piece of paper basically written the way ** wants it, will mean shit to them? I really don't believe they'll abide by it..

Help me here, the more I think about this, I think we are just rubbing salt into the wounds.