Richardson: Why We Should Exit Iraq Now

[Adelante]

Why We Should Exit Iraq Now
By Bill Richardson
Saturday, September 8, 2007; Page A15


Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have suggested that there is little difference among us on Iraq. This is not true: I am the only leading Democratic candidate committed to getting all our troops out and doing so quickly.

In the most recent debate, I asked the other candidates how many troops they would leave in Iraq and for what purposes. I got no answers. The American people need answers. If we elect a president who thinks that troops should stay in Iraq for years, they will stay for years -- a tragic mistake.

Clinton, Obama and Edwards reflect the inside-the-Beltway thinking that a complete withdrawal of all American forces somehow would be "irresponsible." On the contrary, the facts suggest that a rapid, complete withdrawal -- not a drawn-out, Vietnam-like process -- would be the most responsible and effective course of action.

Those who think we need to keep troops in Iraq misunderstand the Middle East. I have met and negotiated successfully with many regional leaders, including Saddam Hussein. I am convinced that only a complete withdrawal can sufficiently shift the politics of Iraq and its neighbors to break the deadlock that has been killing so many people for so long.

Our troops have done everything they were asked to do with courage and professionalism, but they cannot win someone else's civil war. So long as American troops are in Iraq, reconciliation among Iraqi factions is postponed. Leaving forces there enables the Iraqis to delay taking the necessary steps to end the violence. And it prevents us from using diplomacy to bring in other nations to help stabilize and rebuild the country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090702063.html

[robinlynne]

1. I heard him say this this morning on the radio. Right on!!!!!!!!!!

[Skink]

2. He's right you know.

Placing troops in the Mid East is OK.

[Barracuda]

3. I don't agree !

We, us, America broke Iraq. We have to make an attempt to fix it. If we walk away now we leave turmoil behind. Muqtada al Sadr, a lackey of Iran will make a power play and probably wrest control of Iraq from the weakling Maliki. Then you will have the madman in Iran in control of the Middle East. Unless Saudi Arabia intervenes, then you will have a middle east civil war. Sunnis against Shiites. Then what happens to our oil supply?

[Adelante]

4. RIP

It's been swell :hi:

[MH1]

7. Did this guy have a lot of deleted posts?

Cuz otherwise I do not understand why the tombstone, just for this post?

** WHEN A FRICKIN THREAD PRAISING JEROME FRICKIN' CORSI WASN'T DELETED?? **

Sorry I don't agree with the post but it's hardly trollish, and the Corsi thing was, imo.

I know, I know, it's probably against the rules for me to post this, I should just write to the admins.

But I don't get it.


Edit to add: I looked through the user's posts and see nothing tombstone-worthy. Deleted posts would not show up though, and I'll presume that justifies it. But I still don't get the Corsi support.

[Adelante]

8. I have no idea and never saw the poster before

It is most likely a matter of sock puppetry unrelated to this or any other post. It seems to have happened that fast.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. Well

It echoes the Repub meme about why we have to STAY in Iraq and it refers to their oil as ours. :shrug: MKJ

[ludwigb]

5. It's not "our oil supply"

It's their land, their oil, their country, their business.

Besides, we always have air power to police the region by visiting punishment on those who don't do what we want them to do. From a humanitarian perspective, American troops in Iraq don't help--they only hurt. Peacekeeping ought to be carried out by a multi-national force backed by multi-national consensus.

[Bjorn Against]

10. "our" oil supply?

Interesting, I did not know that the mideast's oil was actually our oil. Are you suggesting that the mideast is actually part of the United States, or are you arguing that the US has ownership of other nation's natural resources?

[Vincardog]

14. What happens to our oil supply? We buy it on the world market as always.

The real issue is why don't we have a long term contract?

Oh yeah because the current markets are set up to Fuck us consumers more efficiently.

[ludwigb]

6. For now, Richardson has my vote

Edwards seems to slowly be coming around to a position similar to Richardson's, so I'm not counting him out yet. But right now we need a candidate we can trust on this issue.

[Olney Blue]

11. This is a great piece by Richardson!

[sandnsea]

12. 6-8 months, March 2008, same as the rest

Is he going to abandon the Embassy? Isn't the same regional diplomacy going to happen as long as the troops are withdrawing? Are we going to remove every single solitary troop from the rest of the region? Isn't leaving troops in Kuwait for fighting terrorists still having troops in the ME?

I agree that we need to promise no permanent bases and withdrawal of troops, but we don't need to abandon our Embassy at this point or the troops that always protect an American Embassy. And it counter-terrorist troops will be used as propaganda whether they're "over the horizon" in Kuwait or in Iraq.

I understand what Richardson is saying, but I just don't think the differences are going to amount to that big of a difference as it pertains to al qaeda.

[jillan]

13. And what about all of the citizens - both US and Iraqi -

what about them? Who is going to protect them? Or do we just want to watch them massacred?

Richardson says he successfully negotiated with Saddam. Anyone know what he accomplished?
So far I see a man who says what people want to hear.

yes - Richardson is my least favorite of the candidates running.
Why? Because since he has been the Guv in NM -education ranks lower, poverty is up
and income levels are lower.

[seasat]

15. Those are false statements about Richardson's record

First, Richardson's plan does not call for leaving Iraq without a peace keeping force. He would replace US soldiers with a UN peacekeeping coalition of Muslim soldiers. He would force these nations to contribute to this force by the act of our withdrawal.

Work With All Neighbors and Allies
We should convene a regional conference to secure the cooperation of all of Iraq's neighbors -- including Syria and Iran -- in promoting peace and stability. Among the key objectives of such a conference should be guarantees of non-interference, as well as the creation of a multilateral force of UN peacekeepers. The US should support such a force, but it should be composed of non-US, primarily Muslim troops.

Second, as he points out, our experience in Vietnam indicates that a slow withdrawal results in more casualties not less.

His negotiations with Saddam were for the release of 2 US hostages that had been held for 4 months in 1995. He successfully won their release.

Richardson's first year in office as Governor was 2003. New Mexico ranked dead last in the Morgan-Quinto Press rankings in education for 2002/2003. Their statistics combine 21 factors to overall rank a state's educational levels. New Mexico moved from 50th in 2002/2003 to 43nd for 2006/2007. A 7 point jump in ranking.

From 2000 to 2005 NM increased it's high school completion for 18 to 25 year olds by 6.4%, making it the 8th most improved state.

New Mexico ranked 46th in median household income in 2003. They ranked 42nd in 2006.

New Mexico was one of the poorest states before Richardson took office. They had a poverty rate of 18.6 % in 2003 and a rate of 18.5% in 2006. The total us poverty rate was 12.7% in 2003 and 13.3% in 2006. While the overall rate increased in the US under Shub Inc., the poverty rate in NM declined slightly.

New Mexico currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. They set a record low of 3.2% unemployment back in June.