Coming home, or at least leaving the combat zone.

[devilsadvocate]

The news is saying the last combat patrol in Iraq is heading home, approaching the Kuwaiti border. Two weeks early.

Let's hope the troops remaining for training stay safe until they too can come home

[j2k4]

Yes, good news, no doubt.

One wonders how much of the burden Bush will bear if things fall apart...idle question.

[bigboab]

I am happy to see the troop withdrawal. No more U.S. or any other troops being killed has got to be a good thing. Not forgetting the civilians. Many more than saddam evr killed.
I personally think that they have failed in the real objective of creating a buffer zone between Iran,Jordan and Syria to prevent a mass attack on Israel. Saddam was that buffer zone. Sadly I think another intervention will be inevitable to prevent the use of nuclear weapons in that area.
Yup Kev. One Big Ass Mistake by Bush.

[devilsadvocate]

Bypassing debate about if the invasion have happened at all, my opinion is that total withdrawal should have happened shortly after Saddam was removed. I don't buy this argument for leaving 50,000 troops behind for training and advice.

[clocker]

One wonders how much of the burden Bush will bear if things fall apart...idle question.

Idle response...all of it.

[999969999]

Bypassing debate about if the invasion have happened at all, my opinion is that total withdrawal should have happened shortly after Saddam was removed. I don't buy this argument for leaving 50,000 troops behind for training and advice.

This was another war that should have never been fought. Removing Saddam from power was a HUGE mistake. Was he evil? Yes, but he was a good counterbalance against the nuts ruling Iran.

We can pretend to leave now, but in reality, in some form or another, we will be there for many years to come. If we leave, Iran will sweep in and take it over.

[Tutela]

Devuilsadvocate- what better way to train them than to have them in real life situations that they may enconter while in service.

on topic,
Why they were there in the first place was preposterous, really and truly it was a war for the sake of a war, to fuel a US economy to save it from bankruptcy, which was inevitable,. The fact that the troops are returning home (there are many brafve brave people out there, and I respec tthem all, no question, even though I'm not a US citizen) I don't find comforting. There's two things that could happen. Either each troop is getting paid x thousand dollars a year for not doing what he signed up to do in the first place, or there's some other use for the, ( a "stimulant" to the economy, ie another war to buffer the arms industry)

[devilsadvocate]

Bypassing debate about if the invasion have happened at all, my opinion is that total withdrawal should have happened shortly after Saddam was removed. I don't buy this argument for leaving 50,000 troops behind for training and advice.

This was another war that should have never been fought. Removing Saddam from power was a HUGE mistake. Was he evil? Yes, but he was a good counterbalance against the nuts ruling Iran.

We can pretend to leave now, but in reality, in some form or another, we will be there for many years to come. If we leave, Iran will sweep in and take it over.

Right or wrong the invasion happened. I'm saying the withdrawal should have happened once the original mission was accomplished and not change the mission to stay.

[devilsadvocate]

Devuilsadvocate- what better way to train them than to have them in real life situations that they may enconter while in service.

How long have we been "training them"? They are not staying to train American troops. We've been training them for longer than the duration of the 2nd world war. They should take care of themselves.

on topic,
Why they were there in the first place was preposterous, really and truly it was a war for the sake of a war, to fuel a US economy to save it from bankruptcy, which was inevitable,. The fact that the troops are returning home (there are many brafve brave people out there, and I respec tthem all, no question, even though I'm not a US citizen) I don't find comforting. There's two things that could happen. Either each troop is getting paid x thousand dollars a year for not doing what he signed up to do in the first place, or there's some other use for the, ( a "stimulant" to the economy, ie another war to buffer the arms industry)

So you don't think we should have a military unless we are at war?

You have to remember also that a significant amount of those troops are reservists/national guard that had to leave their civilian jobs to go fight.

[Tutela]

Really I think a smaller military would suffice (being from a neutral country, I would say that.) I think the whole scenario is a complete fiasco really, but there's nothing can be done about that. It's right that they're being withdrawn I think, but I just don't like why they've suddenly decided to withdraw them, I mean they're as needed now there as they were 8 months ago, so why not take them out then. I just think there's an ulterior motive. As I said in my last post, my issue isn't with the troops, I admire them hugely for having the bravery to stand up and fight for their country, something I don't have... It's the people behind the scenes that I have a problem with. Who's to say that they're not going to put them abck somewhere else anyway, and start another war for no reason? (side note: don't think this is going to happen, I have a feeling that a civil war coming from all this might just do the trick)