The US departure from Iraq is an illusion

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/oct/25/us-departure-iraq-illusion

Barack Obama has made good on one of his election promises, announcing: "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over." The Iraqis' assertion of their sovereignty – meaning no legal immunity for US troops – was the deal-breaker, and 39,000 US soldiers will leave Iraq by the end of the year.

Jonathan Steele wrote that the Iraq war was over and the US had learned "that putting western boots on the ground in a foreign war, particularly in a Muslim country, is madness". Yet this madness may continue in a different guise, as there is a huge gap between rhetoric and reality surrounding the US departure from Iraq. In fact, there are a number of avenues by which the US will be able to exert military influence in the country.

These can be divided into four main categories:
Embassy, consulates and private security contractors

The US embassy – the largest and most expensive in the world – is in a green zone of its own in Baghdad, supplied by armed convoys and generating its own water and electricity, and treating its own sewage. At 104 acres, the embassy is almost the same size as Vatican City. It is here that the US is transforming its military-led approach into one of muscular diplomacy.

[Skittles]

1. ?

why is the only congressman quoted a fucking REPUKE from Utah?

[bigtree]

3. that's the way these critics of the President roll

. . . sometimes.

[madokie]

4. Because that is the narrative that the writers want to push on to us

I swear sometimes I'm in another website buy some of the shit that gets posted here and is left for all to read as if that is the message of DU

Gawdfuckingdamn

my apologies to you Skittles for using that expletive but nothing else explains my frustration like it does. So please don't hit me over the head with that rolling pin :scared:

[TheKentuckian]

6. So, you are saying the report is false?

[Skittles]

7. no, not at all

it's just weird how they only quote the opinion of a repuke on war plans

[madrchsod]

2. that`s not a big secret that we`ll be there for years

we left our combat role because of legal issues. we will still try to train the iraqi army and police force. contractors will get off the books cash for providing security to the state/defense compound.

[Skittles]

8. we are still training Iraqis after TEN FUCKING YEARS?

do you realize some of the soldiers training them were LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD on 09/11/01???

[pampango]

5. The troops coming home don't think it's an illusion, but I get the point.

If Iraq doesn't want us to have that many consulates, they can shut those down just like they are forcing our troops out.

We'll still have a lot of influence there (though not as much as when we had 100,000 troops there) but so will Iran and others. It's wishful thinking, but it would be nice if everyone left Iraq alone to deal with its own politics