U.S. can't leave (Iraq)

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | 02/02/05

[SandRat]

So, Iraqis went to the polls and bested the expectations that many pundits had for their election.

People may be too scared to vote. People may not care to vote. Those predictions, it turned out, were wrong.

Now Iraq can continue to build on the success of a vote - yes, not all Iraqis got to go to the polls because of safety issues in their areas - and work on creating a more secure nation.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has already called for the United States to look beyond the election and start bringing U.S. troops home, possibly including some who are stationed at Fort Huachuca. This is the call we'll likely be hearing in the coming weeks.

We question if Iraq is ready to be left unsecure or with a reduced number of U.S. troops. We would like to see U.S. troops come home as quickly as possible, but we also don't want to see Iraq decay to a point that our troops are sent over again in a new situation.

For the long-term future of Iraqis, it would seem best that U.S. troops stay at the invitation of the Iraqi government. On Tuesday, Iraq's interim president, Ghazi al-Yawer, said it would be "complete nonsense" to ask foreign troops to leave Iraq.

We couldn't agree with him more, especially due to the fact Iraqi security forces are not ready to take over the duties being carried out by U.S. soldiers.

And there doesn't seem to be enough Iraqi personnel for the job at hand. According to an Associated Press story, Iraq had some 125,000 trained security and military personnel as of Jan. 19. This is less than half of the goal of 271,000. The figures include police and Iraqi National Guard, as well as army, navy, air force and special operations and rapid-response units.

The U.S. government had projected that Iraqi security forces would complete training and be fully equipped by this spring. Now it is expected they will be fully trained and equipped by summer 2006.

Whatever the circumstances that brought the nation into this conflict, the United States has committed too much in the past two years to allow Iraq's push for democracy to fail. We need to be at the Iraqis' side through this to stabilize the nation broken by years of tyranny and war.

Democracy doesn't happen overnight or in one vote. But Sunday's election should give Americans hope that the Iraqis do care about the future of their nation.

[SandRat]

Editorial on Kennedy's demand that we pull out troops now.

[anniegetyourgun]

Can't you just hear what the libs would be saying if we actually did what Kennedy wants? Iraq would fail, and they'd be saying America was to blame.

[SandRat]

I don't want to listen to the Lying RATS any more than I care to ever again hear about the NUT JOB so-called Ethics Professor Churchill at the U of Colorado.

[frannie]

You are so right, democracy doesn't happen over night. Nor does the governing of the people happen over night. Iraq happened very fast. It was ten years before we turned the government over to the Germans, at the same itme we weren't trying to educate them in democracy. They didn't have it but surly to goodness most of them could read and write and must have known what a democracy should be like.

Frannie

[Dog Gone]

These retarded Democrats will try any new line as long as it's anti-Bush and anti-American.

For months we've been hearing that Bush didn't send enough troops and tried to do the war "on the cheap."

Now, the Democrats want the troops home.

This may appeal to idiots, but with anyone with even a short-term memory, they're inconsistent in every respect except in their opposition to Bush.

[SandRat]

reminds me of that scene out of the John Wayne movie "Green Beret" where the Sergeant was lecturing the reporter about how it took eight years for the US to ratify a Congress after the war for Independence. The Media just does not get it most of the time. They spend far too much time in the Blue Nose Coasts with their noses stuck,....... well you get the idea.

[SandRat]

Why do you think the DEMOCs picked FLIPPER for their candidate in '04. That's what they all are - flippers

[Calpernia]

Did you see this one today?

Ted Kennedy’s brother-in-law charged with fraud in La.

[Constitutional_Republican]

I think he was an "Ethnics" not "Ethics" professor. In other words, the multicultural department.

[honest2God]

Most don't seem to agree with Kennedy on this one. And for good reason.

[SandRat]

Yep and enjoyed it immensely.

[SandRat]

Either way he has neither.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Valin]

LatenightwhatintheheckamIstilldoingupBUMP

[windchime]

Bump!