The Cellar - What are we doing in Iraq?

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- - What are we doing in Iraq? (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=13440)

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The big one: this was (and probably still is) an attempt to create a lawful, productive, pro-western nation containing US military bases, in the center of the middle east and directly bordering several "problem countries", without seeming in any way to declare war on Islam specifically in any way.

NYT: Hillary keeps the military bases even if the shit hits the fan

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WASHINGTON, March 14 — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton foresees a "remaining military as well as political mission" in Iraq, and says that if elected president, she would keep a reduced but significant military force there to fight Al Qaeda, deter Iranian aggression, protect the Kurds and possibly support the Iraqi military.

In a half-hour interview on Tuesday in her Senate office, Mrs. Clinton said the scaled-down American military force that she would maintain in Iraq after taking office would stay off the streets in Baghdad and would no longer try to protect Iraqis from sectarian violence — even if it descended into ethnic cleansing.

Italics mine.

It's weird because she is not supposed to be moving to the center right now. She will lose the left and the netroots for this. She must believe that the surge is working.

Jewish vote/support?:confused:

I heard Thomas Freidman on the radio yesterday. He was selling the idea that Pelosi makes the job of getting Iraqis to defend their own country easier because now we have a legitamit threat that we'll pull out and make the pay retail for their violence. He was completely off base on another point that he made about Americans traveling overseas. He spoke of the old days when Americans were basically welcome everywhere. He said that ended on 911. No Tommy, it ended with our reaction to 911, but has been under assault a long time.

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He said that ended on 911.

Bush had the support of practically the whole world (inc.me). His guvmint completely and utterly lost it after Eyerack. My estimate it'll take 2-3 Presidential terms to restore the damage. Bush is without any doubt the worst POTUS ever.

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Originally Posted by Hippikos (Post 324920)

My estimate it'll take 2-3 Presidential terms to restore the damage.

It could be even longer, if we take Hillary at her word :eyeroll: and we remain committed to occupation. We probably have to think about it as multi-generational. Even after our stance softens, we still have all the killing and smashing on our balance sheet. By not getting directly involved, it appears that China is the big winner...

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Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 323241)

It's weird because she is not supposed to be moving to the center right now.

No worries, she said the exact opposite yesterday. Morning Edition I think this is the story, I'm not on my machine so I can't listen. She gets heckled and says she's pulling out if George doesn't.

General: Insurgents used kids as cover, then killed them
We are sure winning hearts and minds... Bush and Co are fools and idiots.

No amount of oil is worth this.

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Originally Posted by Griff (Post 324927)

Funny, she was quoted just the other day that she will immediately pull us out of Iraq as soon as she is elected.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...src=rss&rpc=22