While it may not be the correct path, at least they're participating (finally) in a plan to bring this to an end.
So it's open season on American soldiers -- thanks a lot, Shiites and Kurds!
So what now, if we or the 211k strong ISF pinpoints a terrorist safe house we have to waste time on a sea of red tape before attacking them?
The US and Iraqi leadership planned since the interim government was formed for the US to give Iraq a schedule for troop drawdown after the Constitution was ratified.
Murtha (D-PA) was well aware of this long before he went on air to demand the Bush administration do exactly what it was already in the process of doing. He even used the loose timeline by the DoD for "his" exit strategy.
It's their way of pulling defeat for the Bush administration out of victory in Iraq.
Debate in Washington over when to bring troops home turned bitter last week after decorated Vietnam War vet Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and estimated a pullout could be complete within six months. Republicans rejected Murtha's position.
"Republicans rejected Murtha's position." Yea, so did all but three of the democrats!!! No bias indeed!
After reading this, I say it was a mistake to liberate these animals(iraq). We need to take out al-quada, but screw the rest of the arabs. They're animals that will never become modern thinkers(as in modern aged man).
If they say it's time for us to go, I say we go. Let them handle the rest. I'm sure they can handle it, with air support from us of course. Thier casualties will be high, no doubt, but it's thier choice.
As to the terrorists, I can understand this position as well. I think military targets are fair game. Now, I have problems with how the terrorists do that (using civilians, or civilian looking people), but its not the same as when they kill civilians.
""Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse." -- Mark Twain
The Arab League? You mean the royal order of despots.
Who are the "leaders" mentioned and who do they represent? Why were they meeting in Cairo? Let's get the facts before we jump to conclusions.
The leaders of Iraq need some semblence of acceptance from surrounding states. In these meetings I'm sure they got an ear full. There are parts of this announcement that I do not like at all. Still, reality does force some comments at times that will pacify the regional naysayers.
The part about the terrorists not being called terrorists if they just target U.S. troops is completely unacceptable to me.
The terrorists do not adhere to Geneva Convention standards and basicly tumb their noses at any idea of conducting their actions by acceptable international standards. The left takes the U.S. to task if there's a hint of impropriety, but never addresses the butchery conducted by the terrorists. Why is that?
Why would anyone consider them not to be terrorists at any time?
No sale there...
Seen this? Surprised?
As the old saying goes. Democracy is like sausages. It's better not seeing either of them being made.
This is Reuters (yes, I know):
“Although the concluding statement recognised resistance as a legitimate right of the people against occupiers, participants differed on their definition of resistance, a controversy that continued throughout the three-day conference.”
. . . .
“In the end, all participants agreed to request the withdrawal of foreign forces according to a timetable conditional on the building of an Iraqi armed force that was well trained and sufficiently equipped to protect the country, control the security situation and end terrorism.”
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/02fb4b61d54a2c57402b7548073d955e.htm
Everyone is coming away from this thing with a different definition of what was agreed. Typical political maneuvering, which is even more pronounced in some regions of the world. They are trying to come up with a political arrangement of reconciliation.
Can anyone cite a legitimate source for the statistic being thrown out there that "80% of the Iraqis want us out"? We hear it "quoted" frequently, but haven't seen an actual poll or survey.
It makes a big difference.
This headline and article is basically left wing spin.
The position of the conference is the same as that of the Bush Administration: When the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. If you read the article carefully they didn't propose and immediate timetable, and in fact said it was premature to do so.
The line on the terrorists specifically condemns deliberate violence against civilians and constructive institutions. Obviously it does not apply to the al Qaeda driven terrorist in Iraq which boast about doing exactly that.