Posted on 05/22/2004 3:03:37 PM PDT by devilsadvocate2004
What is it that we are trying to accomplish in Iraq? Obviously we want a stable government, but at what point do we declare victory and 'exit' ?
So, the Iraqi elections are early next year. We should tell the new iraqi government that if they need help and protection they should ask us to stay, so that it is clear that we are not occupiers, but a force staying in an arab country at the request of arab government. We should also make sure that there is a range of candidates campaigning for iraqi government that campaign on the platform that if they are elected they will ask all american forces to leave immediately. Isn't that the best exit strategy - to be asked to leave ?
Powell conceded that if iraqi government asks us to leave, we will leave (which was an exellent statement:), but he doesn't think that will happen... of course that will not happend if we don't let those elements that want us out to have any say in politics over there !
Do you think that would be a good position for Bush to emphasize this as the only viable exit strategy? After all it took terrorist attacks on saudi arabia for moderate arabs over there to wake up and start treating al quada as an actual threat to them, so this needs to be framed as a conflict of terrorists vs legitimate iraq as opposed to terrorists vs americans.
Actually when you put the question that way, I don't think that there is any doubt that we will be asked to leave right after the election. From what we know about muslim mentality over there it would be a political suicide for any arab leader to actually ask us to stay in the arab country, so all we need is to give them this option, and we are out of there, whooo-hoooo. And, if by some miracle they actually do ask us to stay, that still makes the situation a lot better for the reasons i outlined above.
Sounds like a plan?
meow
Welcome to Freerepublic.
Exit strategy means you're booted!
Wasn't Centcom stationed in Qatar? And where is that, exactly? The Middle East?
"at what point do we declare victory and 'exit' ?"
When the Iraqi police forces and Army that we train and setup turn around and stomp the terrorists flat themselves, reliably, and without needing backup by us.
They will then be stable enough, and self-reliant enough, to be able to be on their own.
Kinda like how the unrest after WWII was dealt with.
Why did I think of babyoil and vasoline when reading this thread title???
Bad, kitty! :p
devilsadvocate2004 aka Bubba Fett, TheBigManSentMe, undercutter, et al, zotted.
America did not leave you, you left it.
Ouch!
Liquid nitrogen on his matchstick..
Three words, "Not my fault."
Since he's zotted, that means we can officially smack teh snot outta him.
Which do you want, the bullwhip or the electric cattle prod?
Or do away with those and use the tazers?
hehehe
Tazer him at two paces.
*chuckle*
It's ruled by the Al-Thani clan, who are responsible for bringing us Al-Jazeera.
They also are the only other nation, outside of the House of Saud, to have adopted the teachings of Ibn al-Wahhab as their state's official religious doctrine.
Ah, leaving so soon? What a shame.
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