Remember when we wanted bush's wars to end? Think they ever will?

[Philosoraptor]

The wars that bush/cheney started in Afghanistan and Iraq have gone on longer than any other war in American history. When do you think they'll end, if ever? Did we declare victory, defeat, or permanent occupation? Why are we still there? What happened?

[90-percent]

1. Easy

We're all not hoping enough.

We need more hope!

-90% jimmy

[ThomWV]

2. They're not "Bush's wars" anymore.

Now they are in the care of someone else.

[tekisui]

3. Bush started them, and saw them through the Prequel,

or the opening scene. We will watch the coming Acts for decades.

[phantom power]

4. +1

[excess_3]

5. Obama is weak

the status quo takes no effort

[zipplewrath]

6. I'd like to believe

I'd like to believe that Iraq will be "over" when Obama said, about 11 months from now. We may keep some troops in some "undisclosed location" so to speak, but it will probably be outside of a major city, and they won't do patrols. We were in Saudi for years literally in the middle of a desert away from everything. I'm dubious that a democratic congress will continue to fund large scale efforts in Afghanistan indefinitely. They'll be quiet about it, but they'll make it harder and harder to conduct extensive operations there, especially without extremely strong NATO involvement, which is beginning to wain.

My concern is that there are many more places that are as troublesome, or more so, than these two places and we as a country seem to be stuck in a mentality of conflict resolution through military action. There are calls for action in Darfur for example. And while I understand the desire to "do something", I do wonder whether we need to find other tools for "doing something" other than the 82nd airborne and smart bombs.

[mike_c]

7. they're Obama's wars now and he seems to like them almost as much...

...as the monkey king did. :puke:

[Winterblues]

8. "Beginning on Day One"...."One Brigade a Month"

There were other Promises made as well. Liberals were delighted Obama was elected but are disappointed in the direction he is headed. Seems Promises don't mean much to him...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. One Bush started Iraq, the other started Afghanistan

Iraq's been cooking since GHWB launched it in 1991, very hot for a while, then simmering through the WJC years when he just enforced the two no-fly zones with aircraft and a few groundpounders and inspectors, then reheated by GWB.

Long war.

[HamdenRice]

10. It's pretty obvious if you listen to what the administration actually says, over in about 18 mos

How can anyone not look at the news from Iraq and see that that war is obviously winding down? The troops have pulled out of the cities and are no longer doing patrols. A residual force may remain there in desert bases, but will not be engaged in combat, any more than US troops in our far flung military bases are engaged in combat around those bases. The end of combat=end of the war. Hopefully, when most people (right wingers) have forgotten about Iraq, they will continue to draw down troops on those useless bases.

Afghanistan is obviously on a glide path of surge and leave. The administration continues to signal that they are making one push to give the Afghan government breathing space for safe elections, and will then begin leaving there also.

But hey, if you want to go all doom and gloom and believe that this administration is committed to endless war, if that makes you feel good, then by all means believe it.

A more difficult question is whether it is worth it to even make an attempt to temporarily stabilize the situation in Afghanistan before leaving. A more sane argument than that we're in Afghanistan forever, is the argument that we should pull out immediately regardless of the ramifications for stability in that country. I could go either way, but I'm not terrible upset about the idea of surge and leave, considering how precarious the situation is in Pakistan.

[Mari333]

11. the money masters of war demand never ending war

too much money is at stake for them to end any occupations...
i doubt they will end ...we have our puppet regimes in place in both places. never ending . follow the money.

[Greyhound]

12. Another of the many "We told you so" moments.

He owns them now and we will all pay the price.

"There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos"

[gorfle]

13. Looks like we're trading Iraq for Afghanistan.

Yippee! We're pulling out of Iraq.

Oh wait...they're heading to Afghanistan instead.

What a waste.

[vssmith]

14. There is too much PROFIT in war