“Operation Withdrawal Scam” -- We're not leaving anytime soon...

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Editor’s note: Anyone who’s visited the massive small city-like bases the U.S. is currently building in Iraq knows that it’s unlikely that we’re going to be vacating them anytime soon. As GNN contributor Norman Solomon points out below, the recent talk of a pull-out is a sham. The New York Times’ Bob Herbert recently wrote, ”he whole point of this war, it seems, was to establish a long-term military presence in Iraq to ensure American domination of the Middle East and its precious oil reserves, which have been described, the author Daniel Yergin tells us, as ‘the greatest single prize in all history.’” Once again, Solomon is right on target. Speaking of being on target, Solomon has a new book out called War Made Easy. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to understand how U.S. presidents have consistently deceived the American public to get the wars they wanted. If you appreciate his work, please buy it.

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The opening salvo came on July 27, when the commander of American forces in Iraq said that continuation of recent trends would make possible “some fairly substantial reductions” of U.S. troop levels in the spring and summer of 2006. Those reductions, Gen. George Casey proclaimed, will happen “if the political process continues to go positively and if the development of the security forces continues to go as it is going.”

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During a much-heralded visit to Guam in July 1969, President Nixon announced that the U.S. government would “furnish military and economic assistance when requested in accordance with our treaty commitments. But we shall look to the nation directly threatened to assume the primary responsibility for its defense.”

Such proclaimed doctrines of replacing American soldiers with natives are real crowd-pleasers in the USA. But such measures may do nothing to reduce the amount of blood on Uncle Sam’s hands. Three years after Nixon’s mid-1969 pronouncement, the U.S. troop levels in Vietnam had fallen to 69,000. Yet during the three-year withdrawal of nearly half a million American soldiers, the tonnage rate of U.S. bombs falling on Vietnam actually increased.

Guerilla News Network

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1. how sad. A friend just told me how she had inside info from her nephew

According to what a higher up told him and his troops, they will be all coming home in February. This guy (a Marine) thinks and is excitedly telling family that all troops will be out by Feb. I wanted to ask who told him that, but all my friend knew is that it was someone in command.

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2. I have mixed feelings.

I think this story accurately describes the government's "planning". I have no doubt at all that they would lie to the troops to improve morale.

But it's not necessarily what will happen. Maybe your friend and his comrades WILL be home soon, at least we can work for that end.

[smoogatz]

3. Most likely troop levels will be reduced before the '06 elections

We'll keep enough guys there to secure the oil fields in case of invasion by Syria, Turkey or Iran, or all-out civil war. Probably 50-60,000 would do it. Don't forget--after 9/11, Bush caved in to the terroists' demands and withdrew all of our troops and airmen from Saudi Arabia.

[Inland]

4. Most likely, there will be announcements before the 06 elections

but will there ever actually be troop withdrawals?

There isn't any connection between what is said and what happens, for one. For two, withdrawing risks turmoil and insurgents claiming victory before the election.

Safest way--announce withdrawal, get credit to the extent it's believed, keep the troops in so nothing really obviously bad happens until after the election, and then do whatever they feel like doing.

[Ian David]

5. Our Iraq exit strategy

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/ian02302/hochiminh.bmp

[Inland]

6. Even so, better than the soldiers who

are, even today, exiting feet first or by medivac.

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7. Great pics.

The usual treatment for loyal, long-serving staff when "downsizing" becomes necessary.