Iraqi Leaders Call for Military Exit Schedule

ap via foxnews.com ^ | November 22, 2005

[paudio]

CAIRO, Egypt — Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a "legitimate right" of resistance.

The final communique, hammered out at the end of three days of negotiations at a preparatory reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab League, condemned terrorism, but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens.

[hondo1951]

If the United States Marine Corps can take an eighteen year old kid right out of Burger King, and within 16 weeks, train him to be a fighting machine, why can't we do it with the Iraqis after two years?

The answer is simple: The Iraqis lack the will to succeed. The insurgants can strike at will killing anyone they so choose. The Iraqis police and military are walking a fine line between the different sects and will fall on the side of the winner of the civil war that is sure to come.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Yet it still doesn't represent the wishes of the Iraqi government.

Think of it as a "bipartisan conference" of elected officials, but still operating outside of the force of the proposed Iraqi constitution.

That won't come until the parliament is installed early next year, but we should be prepared for that, and, in fact, spin it as a total victory of our mission.

[ExSoldier]

Hopefully Bush and Rice don't cave in....

I've probably been watching too many reruns of The West Wing but I was thinking that with polls showing the numbers for the GOP as a whole tanking and the off year elections coming up, this may be a purely a matter of political survival whereby the Administration can extract itself from a bloody mess and still save face. after all, when they handed over control to the nominal newly installed government, they promised if the Iraquis ever asked the U.S. to leave, we would. This is an insurgency with terrorists not "freedom fighters" or resistance. Methinks the job will never get done....enough. I personally don't advocate leaving until it's over....over there. I'm merely suggesting a possible strategy that might have been leaked by political operatives as a device.

[TheRobb7]

Wait a second....

The dateline on the article is Cairo, Egypt.

When did our troops roll in Egypt?

[ohioWfan]

I read it as hyperbole.

It's most amusing that you see his call to bring the troops home as 'hyperbole' and take my obviously tongue in cheek Murtha comment as a harmful attack on his character.

Seems as though you aren't exactly objective in this fight, G.

btw, it IS fair to say that those who are calling for cutting and running aren't supporting our troops.

Support the troops. COMPLETE the Mission. If you don't, our sacrifices will have been fruitless.

This is a fight for our freedom and security. COMPLETE the Mission. HONOR the troops.

[ohioWfan]

"Bring them home" because of something that some Sunni said in a meeting in Egypt is "cutting and running" when things don't go the way you want them to.

Try for a little consistency here, concorner, or take back what you said about bringing our troops home before the job is done.

btw, the Murtha line was tongue in cheek. Sorry it went over your head.

[houeto]

It's most amusing that you see his call to bring the troops home as 'hyperbole' and take my obviously tongue in cheek Murtha comment as a harmful attack on his character.

Believe me when I say that I ain't taking sides on this issue. I ain't got no dog in this hunt, but I read the posts the same way.

BTW, I thank the Good Lord for your son and his sacrifice for our country. You are proud I'm sure.

[George W. Bush]

It's most amusing that you see his call to bring the troops home as 'hyperbole' and take my obviously tongue in cheek Murtha comment as a harmful attack on his character.

Always a crowd-pleaser, that's me!

Seems as though you aren't exactly objective in this fight, G.

I'm rarely accused of being objective, it's true.

Ya know, just because someone has a moment of frustration and gets a little hot-blooded isn't really that good a reason to get out yer broom and strafe the ol' FreeRepublic. And CC was pursuing a valid point, even if you don't like it. Try to grant others a little slack. You might have a day like that too.

Hey, if you want to strafe somebody with yer broom, I'm a perfect target (dull-witted, slow-moving)...

FRegards. I'm off to traipse the hinterlands this afternoon.

[furquhart]

False analogy.

The Marine Corps is an existing instituion, with everything that carries with it.

We're talking about building an entirely new Army here/

[George W. Bush]

Try for a little consistency here, concorner, or take back what you said about bringing our troops home before the job is done.

Why don't you tell us when you think the job will be done? When every terrorist is dead? When half of them are dead? When we have ten (instead of one) police battalions up to par?

If you think CC is advocating cutting and running, just what conditions must exist before you consider that withdrawing would not constitute a cut-and-run. And remember that the next guy will be willing to be more-hawkish-than-thou and you'll probably get attacked and awarded the Murtha Medal Of Retreat too.

[LYSandra]

Bastards!

[Pimpmygop]

ROFL!!

[ohioWfan]

ROFLOL! You are nothing, if not funny, G.

Tell your bud to take back his call to bring the troops home, and stop defending him for it.

(Better yet, why don't you tell him to defend himself. It'll build character).

He insults me repeatedly (stuck on stupid? LOL!) and you accuse me of strafing you with a broom, while whining about how mean I am. Too funny!

I'll leave you with a sign you can use in the future when you're feeling 'dovish' (your self-description) like you are today. Some of us call it the track of a chicken......

Peace, George. Enjoy your day. ;)

[ohioWfan]

Thank you for an objective reinforcement of what's been said here, and thanks even more for what you said about my son. (Never been prouder of anyone or anything in my life).

Methinks some emotions interfered with objectivity here.

[George W. Bush]

I'm always the voice of peace, the epitome of reasonable discourse. Sometimes I just have to bash people's brains in to get them to admit it...

[GraniteStateConservative]

So, why don't we leave and get their civil war over with, if its coming anyway?

Some cleansing probably is necessary. You don't leave tumors alone. You remove them. Many of these Sunnis are hopeless and will only haunt Iraq's path to success.

[ohioWfan]

I thought you were leaving....... (bummer).

As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.

Big election in Iraq in December. They will be an independently functioning democracy. They will 'try their wings' so to speak.

The Iraqi Army is growing in strength, and the Iraqi people are beginning to thrive (check out the economic condition of Kurdistan).

There is only violence in 3 provinces. The rest are functioning quite well already.

As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down..........and that is already happening.

[msnimje]

Make them sign a treaty of some sort and tell them once the coalition forces leave they will not come back, even if begged.

[ohioWfan]

LOL!

Welcome to FR, Neville! :)

Get it??........it's a joke........just like the one about Murtha.....

[GraniteStateConservative]

Fine. Let's pull out and let them kill each other by the thousands, just like the good ole days of Saddam. /sarcasm still on.

We have decided that the Shia are on our side and the Sunni aren't. I can guarantee that the "right" side will win a civil war. We may regret agreeing to ally ourselves with any of those groups of people, but it's what we've done and the group we have chosen are in an excellent position to keep the Sunni minority under their thumb.