What are American troops really doing in Iraq?

[Seabiscuit]

Aside from getting killed, what the f**k are they actually doing there?

About all I've heard for the past 2 years is:

1. Getting killed by "insurgents" while "on patrol".
2. Knocking down doors and arresting innocent people and dragging them off to places like Abu Ghraib, where they're interrogated, tortured, and after a year or two released as "the wrong guys".
3. A handfull of troops have been involved in simultaneous air and ground attacks on clumps of people out in a desert somewhere, yet when they get there either the clumps are gone or they massacre the wrong people.

Seriously, aside from getting blown up as easy targets, or committing war crimes, what the F**K are our "brave, courageous, heroic" troops doing there in the name of "fighting terra"?????

Oh, and WHAT THE F**K IS HAPPENING TO IRAQ'S OIL????

[nancyr]

1. An excellent question!

Something I've wondered about, too. I've yet to hear a sensible response to this.

[Atman]

2. Honoring the memory of those who died for Bush's lies

And protecting the fragile egos of Bush and Rummy. And making brazillions for Dick "dick" Cheney.

[Mr Rabble]

3. Iraq is now a outpost for American empire.

We are never leaving Iraq- at least not until the total collapse of the empire.

The 14 permanent bases we are building are in addition to the more than 800 bases outside the US.

Iraq is of great strategic importance to the imperial plan.

[subterranean]

6. Absolutely right

They are spending billion$ on those bases, turning them into replicas of suburban America. They would not be doing that if they had any intention of leaving.

[Mr Rabble]

7. No need to even look at Iraq here.

Look at all the other bases we now have in the ME. While we closed the highly visible base in Saudi Arabia (per Bin-Laden's request), we opened a string of bases in almost every other country in the immediate area. Qatar, UAE, the 'Stans, etc...all have a vast base complex dominating their ports and land supply routes.

Im dont think we will be leaving any time soon, regardless of whether a Dem or a Repub is in charge.

[Lerkfish]

4. unless I'm mistaken, halliburton is pumping out the oil unregulated.

someone brought that up a few weeks ago, that the "repaired" apparatus to pump the oil, built by Halliburton KBR was pumping oil but there was no way (conviently) to measure how much was being pumped.

If I recall correctly.

Now, to your other question, I am not to the point of questioning the bravery of our troops, I know some of the people personally, and they are great people, especially the guard. BUT they are being ordered to do some batguano insane, brutal and cruel things. I don't think they're going to come back in one piece, mentally.

[Seabiscuit]

13. So what is Halliburton doing with the oil? Does anyone know?

All I've been able to read about Iraq oil is that there is still a shortage of gasoline at the pumps since the invasion. Why? Where is the oil that's being pumped by Halliburton going?

I didn't mean to knock our troops. They're just kids for the most part who got suckered into this mess, and yes, there will be tens of thousands coming home with their brains scrambled, even if their bodies are still intact. I feel bad for them. I'm just a little tired of every Democrat in Washington prefacing in knee-jerk fashion any comment about Iraq by lavishing praise on the troops ("brave", "courageous", etc.) because they are still defensively hung-up about the Republicans' smears re: criticism of the war = nonsupport of our troops.

[Lerkfish]

17. I presume selling or giving it to exxon and others.

:shrug: I am not finding that thread right now so I can't be more specific than that.

[paparush]

27. Pumping it straight into Cheney's leaky, tin can heart....bastard....

[DesertRat]

5. They're defending our freedom!

:sarcasm:

[Oversea Visitor]

8. US Army

Private army of the Oil Baron
Protector of Isreal

Funded by US taxpayer and American blood.

Or is it Freedom Liberty and Democracy

Anyway there has to be an answer.

Either one of the above.

[Oversea Visitor]

9. For correct answer

ask chimp
Helen Thomas did not get ANSWER :rofl:

911 fight them over there so dont have to fight them here terra terra terra Saddam WMD Protecting US
oh well we all know these answer all

CHIMPSHIT

[bigtree]

10. holding pattern

fodder for the Iran confrontation

[w8liftinglady]

11. my son's last deployment,before he was hurt.

1.recovery of damaged large vehicles from syria and iran(just across the border)-still moist with soldiers' blood(his words,not mine)
2.guard duty over newly built barracks.
3.staying inside said barracks,drinking bootleg liquor(of which some of the guys got so sick,they had to be shipped out)

what a good use of manpower.

[Seabiscuit]

29. Sorry your son had to go through that...

What a good use of manpower, indeed.

BTW, is that you in your avatar?

[Seabiscuit]

12. So... I'm not the only one? No one really knows for sure? n/t

Didn't Bush declare "Mission Accomplished" three years ago?

[bigtree]

14. Our soldiers now stand with the Shiite-dominated authority they helped

achieve power.

We know that Bush wants to use the troops for anything that keeps them in place for future meddling They're his protection racket for the oil that we're 'holding for the Iraqis. They're his personal prop for victory speeches. They're his hired muscle in hell's kitchen, waiting for a new contract.

But, they are also our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, waiting for some rationality to their mission . . . and a ticket home. Our leaders should spell out just what they expect our soldiers to do in Iraq that is in tune with our own values and democratic principles. To ask them to defend anything less is a tyranny of our nation's leadership . . . my two-cents

[Seabiscuit]

16. So... they're just hanging around while Bush builds permanent bases?

That's been my suspicion ever since Bush's May, 2003 aircraft carrier photo-op entitled "Mission Accomplished".

If our "mission" was "accomplished" in May, 2003, what are we still doing there 3 years later?

Gary Hart pointed out on Air America this morning that if Iraq ever boils over into a full-scale country-wide civil war (which is very likely) we could lose most of our army in Iraq. This is so because aside from those troops safely holed up in the Baghdad "Green Zone", most troops are spread out around the country trying to "pacify" small towns and cities, and would be overwhelmed in a massive civil war.

[bigtree]

19. they will do whatever they can to entrench our forces in Iraq

they are seeking money for new construction there despite their denials that they want permanent bases.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4834032.stm

[Seabiscuit]

21. Good article!

So that's the real reason our troops are still there.

[bigtree]

24. thanks Seabiscuit

no chance of getting the administration to lay their cards on the table. we should assume the worst from them.

[Cleita]

15. I think you summed it up pretty well.

We need to get out and soon. Our presence isn't needed anymore. We got Saddam, Uday and Kusay. Wasn't that what it was all about?

If they sink into an Islamic Republic, so be it. It's our fault. It's going to happen anyway, so we can't waste anymore lives.

To make a comparison to Vietnam, yes they became Communists, the enemy we supposedly were fighting, but we did have peace and so did they so they could rebuild their country.

[Seabiscuit]

18. During the Vietnam war, the warhawks always justified our continued

presence there by warning that if we pulled out all hell would break out and there would be civil war with a staggering death toll. Well, after 10 years of slaughtering the Vietnamese, we were finally *driven* out and there was no civil war. In fact, the newly formed government of Vietnam soon became quite friendly with the U.S., and the world learned to forgive us.

Until Iraq. Now the world may never forgive us. And WE, by our invasion and continued presence, have created the conditions for a civil war, which is now brewing, in Iraq.

[Cleita]

20. That's my point exactly.

I believe there is a better chance of all Hell breaking loose if we stay, more so than if we go. Vietnam is proof of that.

[Seabiscuit]

22. Ah, yes... great minds often ride the same wavelength.

:)

[leftofthedial]

23. keeping the neocon con going

king george is still a "war-time pretzeldent"

chaos still reigns, which is the environment necessary to rule by fear and uncertainty

Iraq's oil is still off the market, ensuring enormous profiteering opportunities for Exxon et al

violence keeps destroying infrastructure and delaying recovery, ensuring obscene profits for Halliburton



things are going perfectly, thanks to our "brave, courageous, heroic" troops.

[Seabiscuit]

25. Do Shrub's Faux-soaked supporters ever ask the question?

I think not.

That's something I'll never quite be able to fathom. Human beings who are incapable of asking questions.

As one poster once put it here, never underestimate the stupidity of the American people.

[KG]

26. basically, they're baby-sitting war profiteers

[Disturbed]

28. Iraq Occupation will draw down.

Within the next few months there will be a major operation by US Forces to weaken the Iraqi Insurgency and al Q. After that there will be a draw down of about 75 K US Troops. The remaining US Troops will hunker down at eight US Bases and keep a low profile. The lowering of US Casualties will keep the majority of American citizens pacified regarding Iraq going into the Nov. Elections.

Most of the US Troops will not be coming back to the US. They will be sent to various places on this map.

[Seabiscuit]

30. Good map. Looks like Bush finally has Iran surrounded. n/t