Petition Drive in Baghdad Calling for the END of American Presence in Iraq

[leftchick]

If only there was a chance it could work... :(




Iraqi women line up at the offices of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to add their name to a petition calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq during a signature collection Saturday, July 9, 2005. In the coming days Sadr's office plans to collect one million signatures calling for the end of the American presence in Iraq. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)



An Iraqi man at the offices of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr adds his name to a petition calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq during a signature collection Saturday, July 9, 2005. In the coming days Sadr's office plans to collect one million signatures calling for the end of the American presence in Iraq. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)



Iraqi men line up at the offices of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to add their name to a petition calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq during a signature collection Saturday, July 9, 2005. In the coming days Sadr's office plans to collect one million signatures calling for the end of the American presence in Iraq. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

[Old and In the Way]

1. Democracy in action.

I wonder what this administration will say if, say, 95% of the adult population tells us to leave? Will they respect the will of the Iraqi people and leave...or will they come up with yet another reason to justify our occupation there?

[Imajika]

6. We would leave....

..but it won't come to that anytime soon. First, virtually all of that Kurds want us to stay - so your never going to reach that 95% number anyway. Second, Moqtada al-Sadr's political party did horribly in the last election because he actually has little widespread support. His militia also performed embarassingly bad in Najaf and elsewhere during their mini-insurrection. The mainstream Shiite lists, backed by Sistani are not calling for US withdrawal - and won't until they feel they've accumulated enough power to suppress the Sunni's. If the US/coalition left at this time, the Sunni's would still be able to re-seize power. It will be years before that dynamic changes, and until it does the vast majority of Shiites will not wish the US/Coalition to leave.

Imajika

[FtWayneBlue]

2. Around the time of the "election" in Iraq, Mr. Bush

said if the Iraqi people wanted the US to leave, he would pull the troops out.

I say let's hold him to that!

[ellenfl]

4. i was just remembering the same statement.

we MUST hold the admin to this. at the very least, we must insist that the independent (ha ha ha) contractors be removed . . . AND that they return any 'unused' taxpayers' money.

ellen fl

[dogday]

3. Bush wanted Democracy for Iraq

and they are exercising it by wanting us out. This will be one story the MSM will not be showing...

[geek tragedy]

5. This is a good thing, regardless of how one feels about the need

for US troops there. Political activism and mobilization will have a much greater effect and legitimacy than IED's.