Obama's War-Continuing "Withdrawal" Plan

[Better Believe It]

Orwell in Babylon: Obama's War-Continuing "Withdrawal" Plan
by Chris Floyd
February 25,2009

It would be superfluous in us to point out that a plan to "end" a war which includes the continued garrisoning of up to 50,000 troops in a hostile land is, in reality, a continuation of that war, not its cessation. To produce such a plan and claim that it "ends" a war is the precise equivalent of, say, relieving one's bladder on the back of one's neighbor and telling him that the liquid is actually life-giving rain.

But this is exactly what we are going to get from the Obama Administation in Iraq. Word has now come from on high – that is, from "senior administration officials" using "respectable newspapers" as wholly uncritical conduits for government spin – that President Obama has reached a grand compromise with his generals (or rather, the generals and Pentagon poobahs he has inherited -- and eagerly retained -- from George W. Bush) on a plan to withdraw some American troops from the country that the United States destroyed in an unprovoked war of aggression. Obama had wanted a 16-month timetable for the partial withdrawal; his potential campaign rival in 2012, General David Petraeus, wanted 23 months; so, with Solomonic wisdom, they have now split the difference, and will withdraw a portion of the American troops in 19 months instead.

But the plan clearly envisions a substantial and essentially permanent American military presence in Iraq, dominating the politics and policy of this key oil nation – which was of course one of the chief war aims of the military aggressors in the Bush Administration all along. By implementing his war continuation plan, Obama will complete the work of Bush and his militarist clique.

.... it entrenches the United States more and more deeply in a "counter-insurgency" war on behalf of whichever clique or faction of sectarian parties in Iraq is the most effective in adhering to America's dominationist agenda in the region. It sends an apparently endless stream of American troops to die -- and, in even greater numbers, to kill -- in a criminal action that has helped bankrupt our own country while sending waves of violent instability and extremism around the world. It will further enfilth a cesspool of corruption and war profiteering that has already reached staggering, world-historical proportions.

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.chris-floyd.com/

[FrenchieCat]

1. That blog entry is Premature especulation Opining.

:eyes:

[Better Believe It]

2. You mean all troops will be withdrawn in 19 months and that 50,000 won't remain in Iraq

for an indefinite period of time?

Links to that information please.

[tekisui]

3. The 50,000 will be greatly withdrawn by Dec. of 2011.

I haven't heard what number will be left after that point.

[Better Believe It]

7. So when will Obama bring all of our troops home from Iraq? Guess!!!

I don't think President Obama has a plan to do that. If he's talked about bringing all the troops home I haven't read about it. Please provide links if he has suggested a full withdrawl from Iraq.

And what's the plan to dismantle all U.S. military bases in Iraq?

Has anyone in the administration even suggested that is a goal?

[tekisui]

9. All combat troops will leave Iraq.

As well as the contractors. As for the small number of training/security, I don't expect them to be out anytime in the next decade or so, sadly. We will be in bases there like we are in South Korea.

[damonm]

14. See reply #13.

[dionysus]

4. yeah, that damned warmonger. if only we had kucinich or mccain instead

dang

[jaksavage]

5. I wish Kucinich was 'in'...

[Better Believe It]

8. McCain???? Doesn't he also want to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq?

And tell me why you think U.S. troops should remain in Iraq for years along with permanent U.S. military bases.

[dionysus]

10. in case you didn't realize, that was sarcasm directed at the wanna-be kreskin scepculating out of

his ass...

[DevonRex]

6. This was over on GD the other day and got panned there, too.

[firedupdem]

11. As it should have been. Obama isn't a hawk. He said responsible

withdrawal. He has access to more information than we do. People just make up shit to be mad about.

[DevonRex]

12. Yep. And funny that it comes right after his home run the other night.

Coincidence? :rofl:

[SpartanDem]

13. the troops will be leaving

2 years before Bush's timetable and only 3 months off Obama's original plan.

The emerging plan now leaves Obama two months off his campaign pledge, and with between 30,000 and 50,000 troops still in Iraq to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests.

The residual force would include intelligence and surveillance specialists and their equipment, including unmanned aircraft, according to two administration officials and a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

The complete withdrawal of American forces will take place by December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all troops.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iIqTxkm4R61mhLR-6kvTK2j9_0bQD96IL5I00

[Better Believe It]

15. Some of the troops will be leaving for Afghanistan and 50,000 will stay

[vaberella]

17. No they won't. It's been said but I'll say it as well.

By 2011 the troops will be out. Why do you keep saying that 50,000 will stay. By 2011, the last of the "residual" troops which amount to possibly 50,000 but it could be less, will be removed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obamas-iraq-plans-vindicated-as-us-agrees-to-pull-out-by-2011-962874.html

[Better Believe It]

18. When did Obama say that all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq in 2011?

And that all U.S. bases in Iraq will be shut down in 2011?

Are you just guessing and hoping?

And if not .... link please!

[ProSense]

19. "All U.S. troops have to be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011"

All U.S. troops have to be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011

"Whatever number the president approves as of the date he approves is a way station, because if there is no new agreement, under the SOFA, that number has to be zero at the end of 2011."

more

It's the little detail everyone keeps trying to bury.

[win_in_06]

24. This was negotiated by the Bush administration

Obama is simply continuing the Bush plan.

[Better Believe It]

20. Three more years of war in Iraq is three years too many!

"The complete withdrawal of American forces will take place by December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all troops."

Maybe not. Probably not. And that's almost three more years of warfare! However, the Iraqi people may force U.S. troops out with the support of an American anti-war movement.

As the writer pointed out in the original posted article:

"One of the most remarkable aspects of Obama's "war lite" plan is its brazen and absolute disregard for the agreement signed between the United States and the supposedly sovereign Iraqi government guaranteeing the complete withdrawal of all American troops by the end of 2011. Of course, this "agreement" was always considered a farce by everyone – except for the American corporate media, which kept reporting on the "tough negotiations," as if the pact would have any actual meaning in the real world. The agreement was vitiated by escape clauses allowing the Iraqi government to "request" a continued American military presence after the 2011 deadline; and considering that any Iraqi government in place in 2011 will be helplessly dependent on American guns and money to maintain its power, such a "request" has always been a dead certainty."

[ProSense]

21. All the combat forces are out in 19 months. The capacity to engage in combat operations will

be over long before that end date. The deadline for full withdrawal of other troops is Dec. 2011. Doesn't mean that it can't happen sooner. Still, troops will be leaving every month to meet that deadline.

Get used to it, withdrawal is going to happen.

[Better Believe It]

25. Since the troops won't have the capacity to engage in combat will they not have guns?

Perhaps the GI's can be supplied with candy bars and flowers to hand out to the little children and women.

That will give them something to do since they won't have the ability to engage in combat.

Bring them home now!

And don't send them to Afghanistan.

[GarbagemanLB]

16. Luckily people like yourself, Pelosi, and Rumsfeld, who begin with numbers instead of specific

goals and how best to achieve them, aren't making the decisions.

[Danger Mouse]

22. So, how'd you like President Obama's speech to Congress the other night?

[Better Believe It]

26. Overall I thought it was pretty good and straightforward on the economic measures

But, I think Obama must soon more forward with a full nationalization of banks that fail the "stress test" and we will soon need another stimulus proposal of at least 200 billion dollars that will be exclusively devoted to public works job creation along the lines of the National Conference of Mayors proposal.

One more thing. The only way Obama can get his legislative proposals passed is if Senate Democrats challenge the Republicans to filibuster as obstructionists until they get 60 votes to end actual (not virtual) filibusters and/or change Senate rules that eliminate Republican filibusters.

President Obama only needs 50 Senate votes plus a Biden tie-breaker to pass legislation and appointments.

He won't get and doesn't need Republican Senators to pass EFCA, further economic proposals and court appointments.

That's the political reality that Obama probably understands and we need to understand on DU.

The Republicans will only try to obstruct from now until 2012.

[Danger Mouse]

27. Wow. Thanks for answering.

Appreciated. :hi:
I mostly agree.

[win_in_06]

23. Obama kept Gates onboard and he has basically

continued the Bush long term plan for Iraq.

[grantcart]

28. We maintain troops in the former Yugoslavia and they are not "continuing" any war

We have troops in Korea and they are not "continuing" the Korean War.

So maintaining a force in a country does not mean that you are continuing combat operations.

[pampango]

29. We have 30,000 to 40,000 troops in Japan and Germany each and are not continuing wars

there either. Those "occupations" have gone on for 60+ years now. Sounds like President Obama doesn't plan anything like this, since he is getting all troops out by 12/31/11.