What will happen once we leave Iraq?

[Meldread]

I am interested in hearing what people think will happen once we leave Iraq. I am also interested in knowing if people here support strategic redeployment or complete and total withdrawal.

Strategic Redeployment is when we move our forces out of Iraq, but place them offshore and to bases in Kuwait, the National Guard and Reservists would be brought home, but the rest would remain. We would then fund Iraqi militias and security forces with both cash and weapons to quell their own opposition through force. We would also maintain small forces throughout Iraq to protect contractors and the oil.

Do you think the current Iraqi Government is an ideal government for the Iraqi people?

Should we further concern ourselves with the Iraqi's or simply leave them completely alone and to their own fates, whatever it may be?

[BlueJac]

1. we will not be leaving anytime some......

[yourout]

2. One of two things.......Genocide or division.

Either a brutal ruling class of Shites takes over after a bloody civil war or they divide up the country with UN oversite.

[otohara]

3. Iraqi's Will Board Planes to US With Guns

hunt us down and shoot us.

They will have their civil war, dividing of the country perhaps.

[jimlup]

4. US will not leave Iraq

In my opinion the US will never leave Iraq. It isn't a matter of "victory". There is no scenario that would result in "victory" other than a placated Iraq that would allow american investments, oil companies and others free access.

The current anarchy in Iraq is definitely a concern for the imperial visions of the american neocons. But, they won't pull out. Bush's new strategy will be another block against a "withdrawal of troops". In my opinion "withdrawal" won't happen regardless of which party controls congress or the presidency. The current debate is over level of commitment and not withdrawal. If the democrats had everything totally their way, I think that US bases in Iraq would remain manned and control of the oil resources would be enforced. The population of Iraq would be left to their own divisions which would probably be significant at first.

But it is important to realize that Bush cares not at all about human rights or true democracy in Iraq. In fact nothing vaguely resembling that is an acceptable solution for either party.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. jimlup...

to DU!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

7. Welcome!

[Meldread]

10. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

:hi:

[CrazyOrangeCat]

6. The Neo-Cons are not leaving.

They don't care how many die. As long as it isn't them.

The largest embassy on the planet is being built outside of Baghdad. Larger than Vatican City.

There are permanent bases already built throughout Iraq.

Iraq is the toehold. Might as well re-name Iraq. Call it Halliburtonia.

They've got their eyes on Iran next.

Seems impossible, but that's still the plan.

Funny, the MSM never mentioned this did they?

[kentuck]

8. Same as now.....but less

Most of the attacks are directed towards Americans or those that are helping America.

[KingofNewOrleans]

9. Pretty much the same thing as if we stay

except we won't be expending American lives and money for nothing.

Sadly, what is happening and will continue to happen is ethnic cleansing. Shiite only and Sunni only neighborhoods will be the overwhelming norm. Shiites will be backed by Iran (but not dominated by them because of ethnic differences and the fact Iran really can't project power), Sunnis by the Saudis (and Jordan and Syria, but the Saudis got the money), the Kurds with still be America's pet project, no independence but considerable autonomy. The country of Iraq will be an extremely loose confederation, just a way to split oil revenue basically.

What "Al Queda" is in Iraq will melt away when the Americans leave, because they weren't Iraqi to begin with and don't have any popular local backing except when they attack US forces.

[doublethink]

11. Richard A Clarke (former Anti-Terrorism Chief) ... 50 min. Video ....

author of "Against All Enemies" covers your question in this speech and Q&A session entitled 'After Iraq: The Next Steps in the "War on Terror" taped Jan 9th 2007 ..... hope this helps .....

http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2007/01/after_iraq.html

note: the video link is down the page under 'Resources'

[lyonn]

12. EXCELLENT speech by CLARKE!! Saw it late last nite on c-span

Have been searching C-Span just now and couldn't find info on this program. Sure enough, came to DU and darned if someone hadn't done the work for me! It was the most concise explanation of our situation in Iraq at this point. Why this is not out there for the masses to see and ponder is beyond me. He made "all kinds of sense" especially in describing how, if we leave now or 3 yrs., 5 yrs., or 10 years what will happen in Iraq. Basically it will all probably be the same!!!

This video is a MUST SEE - - this could use a post of it's own!!!!

My exclamation marks are for real

Edit: If I wasn't computer Stupid I would post your info!

[Lord Byron]

13. Repression of Sunnis

Bloodbath.

[krispos42]

14. We will be wished a fond farewell

With flowers and candy being throw at us.

Cheney said!

No, we'll be followed out with rocks if we're lucky, random gunfire if we're not.

What we should do is withdraw to Iraqi Kurdistan and some remote bases deep in the southwest and east of Iraq, as well as off-shore in the Gulf. Secure the borders to keep out the Iranian and Syrian and Saudi insurgent-supporting fighters, train the Iraqi army in an isolated area, and let the opposing sides fight it out until a negotiated settlement happens. Work on infrastructure improvements by funding Iraqi construction and utility companies. Bring in some forensic accountants to discretely keep track of the money.

[lyonn]

15. Brilliant Krispos42, many Dems on the Hill have explained

this tactic, not as concise as you have set-out, and the media says: What are the Dems Plan!?

[krispos42]

17. Oh, I get even more brilliant

Point this out to the MSM. I'd do it, but I'm too modest :-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3122479&mesg_id=3122479

[lyonn]

18. Hey, you are so right on that post! Damn I love DU and

the posters like you that allow for thoughtful and educated opinions. Gives us hope that the present admin. will be stopped.

[harveyc]

16. Nothing different than Vietnam.

Poll after poll has indicated that the Iraqi's don't even want us there. We are being presented with the same rhetoric as we were during the Vietnam war. We withdrew our soldiers from Vietnam and the dominoes did not fall! A strategic redeployment from Iraq based on a Murtha framework will work and save 1,000's of our soldiers lives.

[lyonn]

19. Welcome harveyc, good point. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

20. American GIs will be home with their families, where they belong!

This civil war is not our war!

The only thing we can do for Iraq is to send Bush and Blair to the gallows for their criminal invasion of their country. Their blood will pay for the blood of nearly one million dead Iraqis, nearly 4,000 US and UK troops, and will go a long way in redeeming our nation for the evil we have unleashed in the world.

Justice demands a Nuremberg style tribunal to render justice on the war criminals of the Bush regime!

[AZBlue]

21. We broke it. We're responsible for the mess they are in and the Iraqis that are dead.

We can not just pull out and ignore the situation - I can not support leaving them "to their own fates" because it's not their own fate, it's the destiny (the hell) we created for them.

I also can not support one more solider dying for this occupation. Nor can I support another Iraqi death.

The answer isn't easy and it's not black and white (ie, either we stay or we go). It will take an international group of those much better informed than I to come up with an acceptable answer and unfortunately we're not even trying to find that solution now.

Do I think the current Iraqi government is an ideal government for them? I think that question is better put to the people of Iraq than the people of the US.

[harveyc]

22. I'm a broken record I guess ...

We didn't break it, Shrub broke it. Vietnam was broken based on similiar lies, we pulled our soldiers out and left them "to their own fate." Vietnam's destiny was fulfilled.