Look in your crystal ball...How does the Iraq f**k-story end?

[Postman]

Does Bush give the go-ahead for the military to level Fallujah? Talk about winning hearts and minds.

Kerry elected and UN forces arrive like Santa Clause on Christmas Eve? Or Damage done by Bush too much for Europe to trust the Fascist Du Jour?

[The Lone Liberal]

1. Civil War

an Iranian style government.

[hunter]

11. Where?

Here in the United States, or in Iraq?

:scared:

[caledesi]

22. Agree. Kerry becomes president. nt

[The empressof all]

2. We are all doomed

I am a little on the glum side today-

[KissMyAsscroft]

3. It will keep going...

the same even if Kerry is elected.

Sort of a Vietnam'esque situation with lots of casualties, and little mini-civil wars, followed by a stale-mate.

Whomever is president will withdraw our troops after we install Saddam part 2, and claim victory.

America public will call it a triumph. Our bases will stay in the country, with a couple of terrorist attacks every week...

UN will never commit troops.

[DAGDA56]

4. For one thing, Unlike the Little Prince...

...Kerry can pronounce Fascist Du Jour...and know what it means. The damage will be unprecedented as Bush gives the order to go, and Kerry will need all the help he can get...my crystal ball (which is actually a really shiny magic 8 ball) shows JK's mission will be like they describe a few days after an earthquake...they will shift from rescue to recovery.

[Junkdrawer]

5. The longer we stay, the more radical the theocracy...

that eventually takes over. The further to the right Israel turns, the longer the theocracies linger in Iran and soon Iraq.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the whole region explodes into religious war, with Israel forced to use nukes to maintain its hold. Hmmm...wonder if radiation will improve gas mileage in SUVs????

[BillZBubb]

6. Another vote for Civil War

The Kurds will want their own fiefdom. The Shiites will want control based on their majority status. The Sunni's will want control because they've always had it.

Once we pull out, they'll have at each other. No phony government selected from the Bush imposed Iraqi constitution will be able to stop it.

[JHBowden]

7. Puppet Dictator

Realistically thinking, this is the only way to go. We keep the country together as one political unit, and have someone who puts the smackdown on the terrorists while keeping the oil flowing. We may also be able to, under this scenario, leave some of our forces in the country to keep the pressure on Iran and Syria.

Letting the Shi'ites run the country is asinine; we'd get the same midterm WMD threat we had before, + international terrorism. Letting them aim to kill Israelis and Americans democratically isn't much of an improvement.

[jimshoes]

8. Because the chimpministration

is so predictable, he will give the go-ahead to basically flatten Fallujah by next week. Then the shiites will go berserk on the US and the US will also attack Najaf starting a country-wide uprising leading to escalation of US offensives in all parts of Iraq. In the end all we will have done is liberate hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's from the only thing they had left. Their lives.

[FreakinDJ]

9. The Whole Region will erupt in violence

Religious zealots will take over control of at least 2 more countries. Israel will have serious problems holding on to the West bank

[neverforget]

10. Iraqis keep fighting the US until we leave and then they turn on

each other.

[mdmc]

12. end story

Isreal conflict, minus the jews. I forsee civil war, coups, and occupation. I see UN recognized authority being toppled and enstalled over a dozen times.

[freeforall]

13. Another dose of Schlock and Ahh

Then he will go after Sadr, and a free-for-all will ensue.

Also, watch for major trouble between Israel and Palestine this week. Sharon will go after Arafat - with US blessing.

Gotta keep those poll ratings up. (sarcasm)

[benburch]

14. I see this

We will attempt to stabilize the situation to save GWB's election chances. To this end, we will become more and more repressive occupiers.

We will seem to be making progress for a while.

The Republicans and their apologists will smile and tell us what a great leader GWB is.

Then, on the eve of the GOP convention, all hell will break loose.

We will be attacked from all sides, including most of the Iraqi army and police that we have trained and armed.

We will find that somehow heavy weapons have been smuggled in from nearby Islamic nations.

The first few days of the uprising will be extremely bloody for both sides, and we will lose between 400 and 500 troops.

We will retrench and concentrate our troops in positions remote from the cities, effectively losing control of Baghdad.

We will then bring in strategic air power, including B-52s and B-1bs from Diego Garcia. We will carpet bomb the cities where the resistance is strongest.

In doing so, we will destroy several important shrines of Islam. This will bring in the Saudi military against us. Iran will take and hold border regions they disputed in the Iran-Iraq war. Syria will stay out of it, but will be allowing fuel and supplies to flow across the border to the resistance.

OPEC will embargo oil to the USA.

Domestic unrest will near rebellion level in the USA.

Bush will win the election due to rigged voting machines.

The second American Civil War will commence.

Grim. But that is what the crystal ball shows me.

[ironflange]

19. Aw, come on, don't sugar-coat it

Tell us what you really see!

[benburch]

21. If I did...

you'd all get depressed.

[robbedvoter]

15. Kerry elected, war, terrorism going on beyond his term

What W started will not end in a decade. Many will die.

[DeaconBlues]

16. If Bush wins the election

If Bush wins the election - several thousand more U.S. soldiers will die, we will set up a shell of a government and declare victory. The puppet government will fall as soon as we leave, everyone left to wonder "what is wrong with those crazy Iraqis? They are just not predisposed to democracy!"

If Kerry wins the election - several thousand more U.S. soldiers die, we set up a weak government that falls as soon as we leave. For years to come, people will blame Kerry and the Democrats for "losing Iraq"

Anyway, we're screwed. I actually feel sorry for Kerry, as it will be next to impossible to fix all the things Bush has broken.

[LibertyorDeath]

17. A complete shit storm. Death & Destruction plenty for everyone

For Oil, Power, Greed, Religion & to placate the sociopathic ego's of "Our leaders"

There is nothing new under the sun. We kill Women, children, old men & women to bad they are the price of war I hear people say.

It's truly sickening all this technology all that the Human race is capable of and this is what we do to each other.

The resource wars are just getting started.

Unless the Whole human race grows up in a rush it ain't looking to promising for the future.

[hatrack]

18. 50,000 Iraqi Military KIA, 120,000 Civilian, 8,500 US KIA, 32,000 Wounded

Departure US military personnel 2009, federal budget deficit $5 trillion, total national debt $40 trillion.

Establishment Islamic Republic of Iraq 2010.

[brokensymmetry]

20. My crystal ball?

We'll stay indefinitely - no matter who gets elected. The death toll will escalate year in and year out. There will be a draft.

At some point, not so long from now, Saudi Arabia will erupt. We'll go in there too...

Iran is an open question. Will China take Taiwan while we're involved with the Middle East? Maybe.

The Patriot Act II will go into effect. We will face domestic terrorism - and with that, the days of free speech may draw to a close.

In case you think my reception a bit distorted, you might want to read "The Party's Over". And take a hard look at the price of oil while you're at it...

[cliss]

23. I haven't seen anyone mention money.

Wars are not fought for free. This little adventure is costing us $4.9 billion per month (new adjusted figures by the Pentagon). Just last week, LuciBush is expected to ask for another $75 billion to pay for extra expenses. The war is heating up and we need more money.

In the meantime, our budget deficit is currently at $570 billion, not including the Iraq expenses.

There's one thing that's going to stop this war. We're going to run out of money to finance it. We certainly won't have enough to pay for domestic programs. Forget about that.

[avenueb]

24. pakistan

nukes

[newyawker99]

28. Hi avenueb!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Codeblue]

25. Basically

I assume everyone here has read about Peak Oil and the crisis that is supposed to ensue.

I see something a lot like that without Peak Oil ever actually arriving.

WWIII erupts. The U.S. is split between liberals and conservatives and a civil war breaks out, effectively creating two countries. The Iraqis turn up the heat and the U.S. fights a civil war and a war in Iraq

The European nations are drawn into the conflict by their interest in the governance of the U.S. China's needs for oil become overwhelming and they enter the Mid East to obtain it.

Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon start a new offensive against Israel. It truly becomes a World War.

[brokensymmetry]

27. Without Peak Oil arriving?

I keep wondering - has it already arrived, and the elites know it? Only, they're not telling us?

Because all of the action around the world surely looks like a grab for oil. And have you noticed that almost nobody is talking about actually getting us out of Iraq? :think:

[Minstrel Boy]

26. I presume this from the outset:

that the United States will not leave Iraq by choice, and may not withdraw before the United States itself ceases to be.

Having the hedge of Iraq's oil and an army permanently garrisoned in the heart of the Middle East is regarded as a matter of utmost national security, and it will become even more so.

And given that, I expect increasing provocations from Sharon, who is emboldened by the fall of Saddam and the presence of US troops nearby. He's received promises that Iraq is just the beginning. He wants Syria knocked off next, and then Iran. I anticipate Arafat's assassination, strikes against Hamas leadership in Damascus, and a joint Israeli-US action against Syria in the Fall justified by Syria's "harbouring terrorists."

When Bush moves against Syria, that's when the war really starts. And Iran is, I believe, Russia's line in the sand. If the United States takes the war to Iran, Russia will take the war to the United States.

Colour me cautiously pessimistic about humanity's chances.

[grasswire]

29. you can bet that ...

...when Kerry is elected, the Bushies will place a thousand time bombs and traps to spring after Kerry takes over. Not just in Iraq, but in many places of government and foreign policy.

[Tellurian]

30. If Bush isn't removed; we'll get NUKED-

is that simple enough?

[cheezus]

31. 2017: Elected as new FDR for the new depression, Kooch withdraws

US troops from the quagmire after more than a decade of failed occupation at the cost of nearly $2.1 trillion and 134,296 US casualties.