U.S. ending combat operations in Iraq 'NOW'

[Tx4obama]

Source: MSNBC

NEAR THE IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER — The last U.S. combat troops were crossing the border into Kuwait on Thursday morning, bringing to a close the active combat phase of a 7½-year war that overthrew the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, forever defined the presidency of George W. Bush and left more than 4,400 American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead.

The final convoy of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., were about to enter Kuwait shortly after 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday ET), carrying the last of the 14,000 U.S. combat forces in Iraq, said NBC’s Richard Engel, who has been traveling with the brigade as it moved out this week.

“We won! We won! It’s over! We brought democracy to Iraq!” a soldier shouted as fellow soldiers celebrated their arrival in Kuwait this week.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744453/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

---

Turn on MSNBC ... Keith Olberman is now hosting Live Full Coverage!!!
Rachel Maddow is in Iraq.

[ProSense]

1. Breaking: U.S. ending combat operations in Iraq

Source: MSNBC

NEAR THE IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER — The last U.S. combat troops were crossing the border into Kuwait on Thursday morning, bringing to a close the active combat phase of a 7½-year war that overthrew the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, forever defined the presidency of George W. Bush and left more than 4,400 American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead.

The final convoy of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., were about to enter Kuwait shortly after 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday ET), carrying the last of the 14,000 U.S. combat forces in Iraq, said NBC’s Richard Engel, who has been traveling with the brigade as it moved out this week.

“We won! We won! It’s over! We brought democracy to Iraq!” a soldier shouted as fellow soldiers celebrated their arrival in Kuwait this week.

For Staff Sgt. Heon Hong of Guam, the brigade’s departure, which began over the weekend, marked the end of his third tour of duty in Iraq.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744453/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

---

Keith Olbermann anchoring coverage on MSNBC

[Lasher]

6. I am pleased to see that Obama will probably meet his August 31 deadline.

To be honest I didn't think he would.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

17. Great job Obama. Now don't send the same troops to die

in Afghanistan. Bring them ALL home NOW!

I am sick to death of these wars.

If they want to stimulate the housing market, bring these men and women home and offer them
an uber deal on a home.

[saigon68]

96. Just send more Mercenaries at $250,000.00 per year

To continue to grease a few dissenters over there

and allow the installed puppets and their ilk to strip mine the country of any thing worth sending to swiss banks.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

118. Unfortunately you are right.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Complete bollocks

They've just been retitled training and support.

[Tx4obama]

4. Wrong. The combat troops are coming home now! Turn on your TV.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[4lbs]

9. Nevertheless how you feel, Obama kept his promise of "one brigade a month" leaving Iraq.

That, you cannot deny.

Also, those 50,000 will be all gone by the end of 2011.

[Winterblues]

12. No he did not

For eighteen months there was not "one brigade a month" withdrawn. Now Obama is living up to an agreement Bush* made before he left office. There will still be almost seventy thousand troops in Iraq, only they have been reclassified as no longer "combat" troops.

[4lbs]

13. You are wrong on both accounts.

How many troops were in Iraq when Obama took office on Jan 20, 2009?

140,000 troops.


How many troops are there in Iraq now, on August 18, 2010?

50,000.

That's 90,000 fewer troops in 18 months time.


What's a brigade? That's anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 troops.

Let's take the 5,000 number.

Multiply 5,000 by 18. What do you get?

90,000.

[Winterblues]

14. A month does not mean a hundred in one month divided by twelve

It actually means in any given month.. There was not a brigade removed every single month "Beginning on Day One"... And Obama is ONLY doing what Bush* signed into law. It is not of Obama's making, he is only carrying it out...maybe. How do you know there are only 50,000 troops left. Obama himself said there would probably be around 70,000 remaining behind..

[4lbs]

15. And he did not say EXACTLY one brigade a month.

He said an "average of one a month". Watch the debates again. He says it several times.

How do I know there's 50,000? Because that's what Keith, Rachel, and Richard Engel said there are still there. Both Engel and Rachel are there right now, one in Kuwait, one in the Green Zone in Iraq.

I'll take their word for it.

[jberryhill]

59. If you get paid $20 an hour..

Then do you expect a $20 bill every hour, a ten every half hour, or five dollars every 15 minutes?

[Wednesdays]

70. That would be kinda cool, actually...

:+

[Vinnie From Indy]

11. Well I offer the following for you to consider...

In light of the fact that your leaders bent over and let our leaders have their way with them in regard to British Foreign policy and the Iraq War one would think that you might consider giving some degree of "fuck" (flying or not)about "our" troops. While most here do not like the truth being bent, many of us also do not like gratuitous comments about the lives of our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. How is that for jolly good bit of "truth"?

[tabasco]

25. Statement not supported with facts.

Why are you a liar?

[dipsydoodle]

103. Is the Guardian ok with you ?

I can find plenty of others as could you if you rooted around here on DU and elsewhere. I guess you think they're all lying.

The US isn't leaving Iraq, it's rebranding the occupation.

That will have been reinforced by Barack Obama's declaration this week that US combat troops are to be withdrawn from Iraq at the end of the month "as promised and on schedule". For much of the British and American press, this was the real thing: headlines hailed the "end" of the war and reported "US troops to leave Iraq".

Nothing could be further from the truth. The US isn't withdrawing from Iraq at all – it's rebranding the occupation. Just as George Bush's war on terror was retitled "overseas contingency operations" when Obama became president, US "combat operations" will be rebadged from next month as "stability operations".

But as Major General Stephen Lanza, the US military spokesman in Iraq, told the New York Times: "In practical terms, nothing will change". After this month's withdrawal, there will still be 50,000 US troops in 94 military bases, "advising" and training the Iraqi army, "providing security" and carrying out "counter-terrorism" missions. In US military speak, that covers pretty well everything they might want to do.

Granted, 50,000 is a major reduction on the numbers in Iraq a year ago. But what Obama once called "the dumb war" goes remorselessly on. In fact, violence has been increasing as the Iraqi political factions remain deadlocked for the fifth month in a row in the Green Zone. More civilians are being killed in Iraq than Afghanistan: 535 last month alone, according to the Iraqi government – the worst figure for two years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/04/us-iraq-rebranding-occupation

Is there something about a military spokesman saying "In practical terms, nothing will change" that you can't quite grasp ?

[Nihil]

119. "In practical terms, nothing will change"

Now isn't *that* a phrase that applies in so many situations? :hide:

From another LBN post just above this one:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4509928

> As of this morning, there are about 56,000 American forces in Iraq. That number
> will be drawn down to about 50,000 by Aug. 31.
> ...
> When combat operations officially end Aug 31, that does not mean that some of
> the 50,000 American forces that remain in Iraq will never see combat. Senior
> military official tell NBC News that the so-called advise and assist brigades
> that do not have a formal combat mission will, however, be combat capable.
> Some of those forces that will be embedded with Iraqi forces could indeed
> be drawn into combat.

"So-called advise and assist brigades".
Ah ... the heady days of providing "military advisors" to armed struggles
between different factions in a foreign civil war ... it must make some of
the senior folks in Washington come over all nostalgic ...


Out of interest, given that there will be "about 50,000" American forces in
Iraq at the end of this month but only "about 6,000" are "combat forces"
(i.e., ~12%) and a lot of the base work is outsourced anyway, what are the
other 44,000 American forces going to be doing?

(I know that there will be a fair number of medical staff along with some
intelligence & other back-room ops support people but what are all the rest?)

:shrug:

[Cha]

28. Says the internet expert on nothing.

[dipsydoodle]

105. If you check back on DU

you'll find the links and posts which confirm that nothing will really change.

posted Aug 5th : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8884212

[POAS]

36. So the brigades on my TV that appear to be

driving into Kuwait are really a mirage?

[liberalmike27]

92. Yea, It's Now Another one of 800 or so Expensive Bases

Seriously we'll be there forever. And I can only guess how many mercenaries are still there.

And that tens of thousands of Iraqis figure--that's really low-balling it. It's hundreds of thousands.

[wtmusic]

3. "We won! It's over!"

Like...mission accomplished?

[onehandle]

10. That was a soldier, not a codpiece pretender. Big difference.

They deserve their moment.

[damntexdem]

5. Generation Kill in reverse.

Now we need to pressure to get the "trainers" out before this becomes a new Vietnam/Iraq. ;-)

[4lbs]

8. President Obama kept his promise of "one brigade a month" over 18 months.

When he took office on January 20, 2009, there were more than 140,000 troops in Iraq.

As of now, there are at most 50,000.

That's 90,000 fewer troops in just over 18 months.

A brigade is anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 troops. Taking the higher number, and multiplying by 18 that gives.... 90,000.

[liberal N proud]

16. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

YES?




NO?


Did they ever find the WMD's?

[POAS]

20. Yes, they were in

Washington DC and their names are Cheney and Bush.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

64. Bush was looking for Bin Laddin in Iraq but never found him

thank god Obama ended this debacle.

[savalez]

81. Why was Bush looking for Bin Laden in Iraq? Because the light's better?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

114. because Iraq had more oil

[Tx4obama]

85. In 2008 McCain said he knew exactly where Bin Ladin was & won't tell until he's president. n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

110. looks like we'll be waiting a long time?

[TheWatcher]

97. I stopped reading after "Bush was looking for Bin Laden"

Delusion like that simply cannot be taken seriously.

Maybe eight years ago it might be barely palatable, but now?

Please. Honestly.

I would say wake up, but there is no point.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

109. you can't take a joke

[TheWatcher]

121. No, today I can't. You're right.

My apologies, Rosa.

What my country has become has really taken a toll on my perception and understanding, it would seem.

[savalez]

18. Awesome news. But how come only MSNBC is reporting it?

CNN is talking about the stupid NY "Mosque" story.

[lark]

21. That's ALL they've talked about the last few mornings

I usually watch CNN for 15 min. while getting dressed to see what msm is saying, but couldn't stomach it today when it was all mosque all the time.

[POAS]

23. Probably they were just lucky to have

reporters living in those brigades when the move started and it gave them the jump on the others.

Remember this was done unannounced for security.

[savalez]

29. Ah ha! You're probably right. The video of the convoy awesome.

In the words of Joseph Robinette Biden...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQeNikp1Rj8&feature=player_embedded

[obxhead]

41. Maddow explaining now about that right now.

Something along the lines of they have exclusive technology.

[katty]

19. Very glad troops are leaving-but we have not won

anything.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

26. Sad to say this isn't a blip on most American's screen.

I feel like going out and dancing in the middle of my street. They just wouldn't get it.

[savalez]

30. I don't think Bush had "winning" in mind when he sent us there. Win what? How?

[POAS]

34. To quote Bush

"He tried to kill my Daddy!"

[savalez]

37. I remember that. Pfffff. Crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL6OGwsp9_o

[liam_laddie]

55. Assuming 43 had a mind...

I expect "it" was pre-programmed by his oil controllers (Texans, Cheney et al) to deliver contracts to Big Oil in the West, not to the Chinese, Russians and others. Oh, to be privy to the closed-door deals worked out between all the "oiligarchs."
The Iraqi oil-worker unions who strenuously objected to the sellout of their own resources are proven correct. Iraq is reverting to its traditional pre-Ottoman split - Sunni, Shia, Kurds, etc. Nothing we could do would suppress or change those ancient cultures. Same thing is happening in Af-Pak, truly the graveyard of empires, including the USA.
Just my two Euros worth...
:nuke:

[Scurrilous]

22. K & R

:thumbsup:

[MineralMan]

24. I just watched Rachel Maddow in Baghdad.

It's good to see the last combat troops leave. Anyone who does not think this is a good thing seems to me to be someone who will never be satisfied with anything President Obama does. That sucks!

[POAS]

32. You are exactly correct. n/t

[deacon]

71. Ain't that the truth. The guy ends the war and it's a bad thing? Amazing. n/t

[Meeker Morgan]

27. Move some troops around. Call it something else. n/t

[rug]

31. I suppose the people killed tomorrow will be accidents.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

102. They're no longer considered "killed."

They're considered "advised."

[Cha]

33. Thanks Tx4obama~ We've

waited a long time for this! :fistbump:

[florida08]

35. have been watching since

around 6:30 when Keith broke into Cenk hosting the Ed Show. It was great news to hear and even better to watch them and Richard Engel as they crossed the Kuwait border. Some will be redeployed to Afghanistan..that part sucks..but WELCOME HOME guys and gals. We're so glad you're here finally and soon will be with your families.

[Hekate]

38. Thank the Goddess for a promise kept. F**k Bush/Cheney to the depths of Hell forever.

I remember driving to my local Vets for Peace meeting the night Baby Caligula pumped his fist in exhilaration that the bombs had begun to fall on Baghdad. Reciting like a mantra "God damned son of a bitch."

F**k Bush/Cheney for their lies and their "Mission Accomplished," for the dead and the maimed and the heartbroken. :cry: May they reside in the bowels of the Hell they (or at least Bushie) so piously claimed to believe in. :grr:

I thank the Triple Goddess that this part is at least -- at last -- over.

Hekate

[savalez]

40. Hear Hear!

[MineralMan]

43. +100

[underpants]

48. EXACTLY- can we all now realize what CHANGE looks like

Thank You President Obama

[WheelWalker]

76. You have spoken my heart. Blessings.

[obxhead]

39. Another headline might read....

US forces redirect operation to only protecting corporate interests.

Yes today is a great day and more troops are coming home or shifting to Afghanistan.

However, we are not leaving Iraq. We are leaving US forces and high paid contractor forces embedded near corporate interests.

Today is a good day, but it is by no means over.

[CanonRay]

42. One down, one to go

Now, if Israel doesn't bomb Iran......

[TheWatcher]

44. “We won! We won! It’s over! We brought democracy to Iraq!”

No we did not.

We attacked and occupied a country that was no more a threat to us than Cleveland, based on lies and false intelligence.

We killed over a million of their civilians, destroyed their country and their culture, tortured civilians, and needlessly and senselessly lost thousands of our own sons and daughters.

And for WHAT?

DEMOCRACY? FREEDOM?

If that's the story they are sticking with, then we truly are forever lost as a country.

There is no "Victory" in what we have done.

Those soldiers should have never BEEN THERE TO BEGIN WITH.

But then again, we "won" in Veitnam as well.

[Joey Kidd]

83. +1 n/t

[boppers]

87. Have you been to Cleveland?

:hide:

[struggle4progress]

45. What a glorious chapter in American history this has been! Surely our

children's children will sing songs about how we were greeted with candy and flowers! how decisively we found and seized the terrifying weapons of mass destruction! how quickly our major combat operations ended! how carefully we preserved the artefacts of ancient civilizations! how brilliantly we rebuilt the country!

[TheWatcher]

46. Don't laugh. With the level of Propaganda and Brainwashing we live under everyday, that is only

going to increase as time goes by, they just might.

Idiocracy isn't going to be just a movie for much longer.

[Raster]

54. Mission Accomplished!

Question: What about the four heavily armored and hardened bases? Have we turned those over to the Iraqi government? How about that ultra-hardened communications system we put in place. Is that still operational and manned by American soldiers?

[TheWatcher]

98. That will be enough, Citizen. We "Won". Fall In Line.

Now, get back to Favre Watch and your favorite Reality Shows.

All is Well.

And we've never been at War With East Asia.

Even though We've Always Been at War with East Asia.

Shop, Submit, and Shut Up.

:sarcasm:

[dflprincess]

47. Good

Though I'd like to know much it will cost to leave 50,000 "non-combat" troops there to protect corporate interests and maintain the bigger than Vatican City embassy compound. I'm guessing more than we can afford.

And how long do those troops who are "coming home" get to stay home before they redeploy to the quamire in Afghanistan?

[Tx4obama]

51. The 50,000 "non-combat" troops still over there at least won't be over here collecting unemployment.

Has there ever been a poll done of the troops to see how many of them would rather be over there getting a paycheck vs. being over here unemployed?
Just curious.

[Selatius]

60. You shouldn't use a military occupation as a form of unemployment insurance either.

Exactly how impressed would the average Iraqi be if he or she had seen your question?

[dflprincess]

61. I'd rather be collecting unemployment than risk being killed or maimed

for no particular reason. I would prefer that for my nieces and nephews as well.

Thom Hartmann often quotes Jefferson as saying he hoped the U.S. would never become a country where young men had to risk their lives for money - apparently you don't have a problem with the fact we that that is exactly what we have become.

If half the money we were spending to continue the endless war policy were spent rebuilding the infrastructure of this country the military would not be the only job option for some people and we would all benefit. Nobody but the defense contractors are benefiting from Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Tx4obama]

66. Well I didn't really say what I meant very clearly...

I was trying to respond to this part of your other comment: "Though I'd like to know much it will cost to leave 50,000 "non-combat" troops there....."

I was trying to say that I think some of those military folks want to be over seas, want to be helping stabilize another country, want to be using their life to do something productive for other people, etc. - would rather be over there doing something they want to be doing and getting paid for it then being back here in our depressed economy jobless.

And btw, I do understand that many folks join the military 'for the money' and 'for an education' that has been going on for a very long time - it is sad that we here in the USA do not have enough jobs and we don't have an education system that is more affordable.

I probably still didn't say it exactly correctly, so goodnight.

[dflprincess]

68. Iraq didn't need to be stabalized until we invaded it

I suppose there are military personel who believe they are doing something productive - whatever gets them through the night - but there are also many who know they are just pawns in a neocon game and nobody, least of all the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, will benefit from it.

[JonLP24]

106. Are those the only two options?

Because if so that would be a push poll.

They could be stateside still collecting paycheck!! I'm willing to bet everything I have troops would rather be stationed in the US or Germany over being in Iraq.

[underpants]

49. Thank You President Obama

:patriot:

[w4rma]

50. Awesome. (nt)

[madmom]

52. I can't believe the fucking negativity here, can't you just be happy some of

our soldiers are coming home for fuck sake! It might not be the perfect ending, but let's give credit where credit is due. SOME OF OUR SOLDIERS ARE COMING HOME!!!! The people still bitching about it not being perfect well grow up the world is far from perfect. I'll bet the ones who just crossed over into Kuwait are very happy. Oh but I'm sorry Obama didn't hold his mouth right so it doesn't count!:wtf:

[liberalmike27]

93. I think

We're all a bit jaded and skeptical of our government and our media, no matter who is in the White House. Seems like the dark forces lord over them all to some extent,and by that I mean corporations, and that includes most of the media.

So they took out the soldiers making 30 grand a year, and left the "contractors" making over a hundred thousand a year. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....????

[madmom]

101. I think a MAJOR difference is the contractor is there because he WANTS to be. I don't think

there are too many soldiers who don't want to leave. The contractors are there because of their love for money, if they get hurt or killed it was their decision not that of some old white guy setting on the other side of the world far from harm's way.

[defendandprotect]

53. Better yet, $$ we save will pay for MEDICARE for all -- and double SS checks!!---

And, we will stop bankrutping our Treasury!!

[seafan]

56. "We are now engaged in Stability Operations."--- Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza to Rachel Maddow tonight.

This is corroboration of information contained in an important thread that appeared here two weeks ago.


From the thread:


The US isn't leaving Iraq, it's rebranding the occupation


By Seumas Milne
UK Guardian

August 4, 2010

For most people in Britain and the US, Iraq is already history. Afghanistan has long since taken the lion's share of media attention, as the death toll of Nato troops rises inexorably. Controversy about Iraq is now almost entirely focused on the original decision to invade: what's happening there in 2010 barely registers.

That will have been reinforced by Barack Obama's declaration this week that US combat troops are to be withdrawn from Iraq at the end of the month "as promised and on schedule". For much of the British and American press, this was the real thing: headlines hailed the "end" of the war and reported "US troops to leave Iraq".

Nothing could be further from the truth. The US isn't withdrawing from Iraq at all – it's rebranding the occupation. Just as George Bush's war on terror was retitled "overseas contingency operations" when Obama became president, US "combat operations" will be rebadged from next month as "stability operations".

But as Major General Stephen Lanza, the US military spokesman in Iraq, told the New York Times: "In practical terms, nothing will change". After this month's withdrawal, there will still be 50,000 US troops in 94 military bases, "advising" and training the Iraqi army, "providing security" and carrying out "counter-terrorism" missions. In US military speak, that covers pretty well everything they might want to do.

.....

Gareth Porter has also confirmed this information. Also from the above thread: "Remissioning" was the Petraeus plan for Iraq since late 2008.




Amidst the dramatic reporting on MSNBC tonight, it now sounds as if Keith, Lawrence and Howard Fineman are starting to express some discomfort about how this "final withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq" presentation to the public is progressing. They are also wondering why President Obama is quiet as this is unfolding.



To play this up dramatically as the "final combat troops have left Iraq" is deceptive to the public, as there will remain 50,000+ troops in place and they will retain combat capability and will continue running counter-terrorism missions. That doesn't sound like "desk work".


There will be major PR problems with this.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

65. why can't the UN do that?

peace keeping and all that?

[Synicus Maximus]

57. What are the 50000 troops still in Iraq?

[Tsiyu]

58. Hope

maybe?

[HEyHEY]

62. And the all-out civil war can now begin!

[proteus_lives]

69. They're one step closer.

It's been coming since Saddam fell.

Nothing can stop it.

[defendandprotect]

125. Studies find that doesn't happen . . . let's hope that holds true this time ...!!

[iamthebandfanman]

63. and already 50,000 troops is normal! pishaw! nothing to see here!

i mean gosh theres a ton of troops in germany, who can complain about iraq ?!

[Chulanowa]

67. So I just want to make sure i'm reading this thread right

Obama is pulling through on a campaign promise and ending combat operations in Iraq. He'd met the "brigade a month" plan, and we're taking our guns and going home, after six years of the most ridiculous, costly, and wrong-headed war the US has been involved in.

AND THE "PROGRESSIVES" ARE BITCHING AND MOANING ABOUT IT?!

Really. Fuck you guys.

[tjwash]

82. Dude...It's the internet. Nothing is above being shit on.

What? Obama didn't personally go to Baghdad and pack all of the soldiers bags for them while handing them large bonus checks? what a completely UN-American liar and traitor. He deserves to be in a war crimes trial.

[FiveGoodMen]

122. "we're taking our guns and going home"

Wow.

That leaves the 50K troops who remain in Iraq as sitting ducks!!

Hasn't anyone considered that?!

[Raster]

72. Bringing the Troops home

[NYC_SKP]

73. There are 28,500 US troops in South Korea.

Just to pre-empt anyone who wishes to call any and all military personnel in Iraq a failure on the part of THIS administration.

If "no troops" is the metric for "no war", then the current president will never get credit.

Kicking.

Recommended.

And thank you, troops, for your service to our country.

:patriot:

[Tx4obama]

74. How many do we still have in Japan, Europe, etc. ?

[savalez]

79. I think there are 60k troops in Germany.

[Tx4obama]

75. Thank you President Obama & a BIG 'Welcome Home' to all the combat troops!!!

:hi: :woohoo: :patriot: :hi: :woohoo: :patriot: :hi: :woohoo: :patriot: :hi: :woohoo: :patriot: :hi: :woohoo: :patriot:

[alp227]

77. Great! Now we shall move towards fixing AMERICA after a fraudulently initiated war

Iraq is democratic now, but American democracy is still lagging behind big time, isn't it?

Michael Moore's hard-hitting Tweet:

http://twitter.com/MMFlint/status/21539942093

"And a final shout out 2 the NY Times for writing all those phony stories about WMD that led us in2 the war."

[savalez]

78. oops delete

[HEyHEY]

80. I'm sure they know better than anyone, mos tof the contractors are likely subsidized by them

[kwenu]

84. Thank you Mr. President!!! This is good news.

[bergie321]

86. Iraq was finally liberated

Except for the 50,000 occupiers still in the country.

[boppers]

88. Germany and Britan must hate that.

You do know how many nations we have bases in, don't you?

[Joey Kidd]

94. The military of the United States is deployed in more than 150 countries around the world.

You do know how many of those Nations have civilians being killed by the U.S Military,don't you ?

[boppers]

95. I'd guess all of them.

In various proportions.

Standing armies are a bad idea.

[Nihil]

100. To be fair ...

... I can't recall any British civilians being killed by US servicemen
in Britain in quite a while ...

:shrug:

(I still agree with your last line though.)

[grahamhgreen]

89. IRAQ IS NOT A DEMOCRACY, it is an Islamic republic

Which of course, may still be subject to repressive Sharia law

"Article 2:

First: Islam is the official religion of the State and is a foundation source of
legislation:

A. No law may be enacted that contradicts the established provisions of Islam"
---------------

"Article 92:
First: The Federal Supreme Court is an independent judicial body, financially and
administratively.

Second: The Federal Supreme Court shall be made up of a number of judges,
experts in Islamic jurisprudence..."





http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:TTSlFwGDEp8J:www.uniraq.org/documents/iraqi_constitution.pdf+iraqi+constitution&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESh-ebl3rg9VQa_URUMlbBjVrLszFez8hfuFux-KUAigv5-YO-H4S2EmKDDq8qcpmDZe_z7aj8Mm_alPps-UvxnS8lznR--l-FALLPKaa0TPCeTqF3uHNH6QZPDd6ZF3Ipi8wKy1&sig=AHIEtbQAYxJeDHJzhb9Og9EEcgbX_I11sg

[JDPriestly]

90. Good news! That's one campaign promise sort of kept.

50,000 troops is 50,000 too many. But at least it is progress.

[Tx4obama]

91. More details from CNN

From a CNN article

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* The last U.S. brigade combat team has left Iraq
* That leaves 56,000 U.S. troops in the country
* Another 6,000 troops are slated to leave by September 1
* 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division crossed border into Kuwait

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/18/iraq.combat.convoy/index.html?hpt=T1

[Bluesbreaker]

99. 50,000 Non-Combat Troups Left

Do you like Blackwater (now Xe), Halliburton, KBG and their ilk? That's whose taking over the shooting role in Iraq as the troops leave. Personally, I'd rather have the troops, even though I'm against the war. Contractors have been responsible for the greatest atrocities and war crimes and they are not accountable in the way the U.S. military is. We're not leaving. We're there for the long haul or until the oil is gone from the Middle East, whichever comes first.

[Raster]

108. Now that all the lovely oil has been privatized, the grunts can move on to their next "assignment"

[Odin2005]

104. Pure propaganda.

[dipsydoodle]

111. Confirmation of that here

The US isn't leaving Iraq, it's rebranding the occupation.

But as Major General Stephen Lanza, the US military spokesman in Iraq, told the New York Times: "In practical terms, nothing will change". After this month's withdrawal, there will still be 50,000 US troops in 94 military bases, "advising" and training the Iraqi army, "providing security" and carrying out "counter-terrorism" missions. In US military speak, that covers pretty well everything they might want to do.

>

Meanwhile, the US government isn't just rebranding the occupation, it's also privatising it. There are around 100,000 private contractors working for the occupying forces, of whom more than 11,000 are armed mercenaries, mostly "third country nationals", typically from the developing world. One Peruvian and two Ugandan security contractors were killed in a rocket attack on the Green Zone only a fortnight ago.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/04/us-iraq-rebranding-occupation

[harun]

113. +1

[Dr Fate]

115. Are we going to spend less money as a result?

If so, then that is one positive thing.

[dipsydoodle]

116. Not if the contractors cost more

than serving personel, in aggregate , who were stationed there but have now returned home.

[Blue_Tires]

107. i hope some people with short memories use this opportunity

to re-visit the original, completely bullshit case for the invasion (and which media heads, columnists, church leaders and congresscritters were the biggest cheerleaders)

[harun]

112. When's the ticker tape parade? Oh yah, we don't have any money left for that.

[Raster]

117. See post #72 above.

[harun]

123. That sums it up well.

[HippieCowgirl]

120. Prediction: Israel is about to bomb the hell out of Iran

So the US is pulling "combat" troops out of Iraq so we can claim plausible deniability.

[JJ Walker]

124. Smoke and mirrors

Can't believe folks are naive enough or too incurious to investigate such that they believe the US is planning to leave Iraq.