All combat operations are sceduled to cease in Iraq come August. He’s pulling out thousands of troops from Iraq.
Just heard 30,000 more going to Afghanistan!
Appointing the 15 is so much in accord with Islamic grievance political tacticry...is Hamas writing his script?
Regarding withdrawals. NATO cannot fill the void of a US withdrawal, and Islamic/Arab rescidivism will manifest itself immediately. The US presence is a thin, temporary veneer, and, the concept of withdrawal says as much as we have not been there long enough and the ME millieu Iraq swins in is nothing if not shark infested. We have not cleared the sharks.
Turkey has not forgotten for a second, its Ottoman Empire, its Caliphate. Iran and Syria will become more active. Not taking out Iran, alone, guarantees complete wastage of US efforts, and, pulling out of Afganistan will show no positive result there either.
Geopolitical subduction or destruction of Israel has only negative results for Islamic and Non-Islamic interests (without Israel to unite Arab and Persian competing Islamic interests, they will fall out against each other without Israel as a diversionary focus except for their common interest in furthering their prominent footholds in the US symbolized by two American Presidents from two political parties bearing Saudi Medallions about their necks).
Financially, the US cannot afford to stay in either place, cannot fund our social or pension programs, and has not dealt with reality in a competent manner. So certain ME games, in spite of the excellence and valor of our military are so wasted.
Political and financial inadequacies are defining the future acutely at present, and in ways and manner not in keeping with our past. We, as a country, are like a comatose ICU patients waking up in a startling moment of clarity just as the respirator is unplugged....can we remain plugged in and make a recovery? The Tea Parties are saying...YES. They had better be proved right.
Mission Accomplished, 6+ years later.