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Iraqi Civilians Die in Raid, Complicating Pullout Talks
NY TIMES ^ | August 6, 2011 | MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT

Posted on 08/07/2011 10:15:42 AM PDT by americanophile

BAGHDAD — For the second time in a week, a joint Iraqi-American raid aiming at insurgents resulted in the killing of civilians. Amid pressure from American officials, who privately say some troops should remain, the Iraqi government announced on Wednesday that it would begin negotiations about a continued American troop presence.

Some politicians were already railing against the Americans for Friday’s raid, criticizing troops in the local press for once again violating Iraq’s sovereignty.

According to American military officials, the operation in Ishaqi was singling out a cell of insurgents who were assembling explosives. It remains unclear whether the insurgents were found.

The Americans would like to have some troops remain in Iraq in part to serve as a counterweight to Iran.

Many high-ranking Iraqi politicians and military personnel believe they need the Americans’ help in training. But others, in particular the influential cleric Moktada al-Sadr, say that keeping the troops in Iraq is just a continuation of the occupation.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: iraq; troopwithdrawal
"the Iraqi government announced on Wednesday that it would begin negotiations about a continued American troop presence."

Here we go! The federal government, in its infinite wisdom wants to keep our soldiers there to be labeled as occupiers and increasingly viewed hostilly by the populace, while we spend millions to protect a country that doesn't like us while acting as an ineffectual counterweight to another; one that we haven't engaged directly even though they've been undermining us since the beginning. No. No more nation building, much less in the Middle East. Bring our troops home and lets clear out while we can. We've beaten Saddam and set up a functioning Iraqi democracy. Whatever it's flaws, it's time to leave Iraq to the Iraqis...we don't need another South Korea.

1 posted on 08/07/2011 10:15:45 AM PDT by americanophile
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To: Nachum

ping


2 posted on 08/07/2011 10:17:34 AM PDT by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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To: americanophile

I agree, we need to spend those $$$ on our own infrastructure!
But first, how bout bringing those troops home from
Germany? They sure don’t need us there and we could use at least half of them on our southern border.
That would save a lot of tax $$.
Until I see some of these kinds of cuts, I won’t believe congress is serious about cutting costs.


3 posted on 08/07/2011 10:24:56 AM PDT by IceAge
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To: americanophile

Piss poor strategy from the get go there!! Time to leave!


4 posted on 08/07/2011 10:28:03 AM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: americanophile

“The Americans would like to have some troops remain in Iraq in part to serve as a counterweight to Iran.”

I’d be curious to know what morons wish for us to stay in that cesspool longer. Somehow I doubt they’ll be the ones deploying out there or paying the bills.


5 posted on 08/07/2011 10:30:26 AM PDT by KantianBurke
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To: Cheetahcat

I agree with you. It’s time to leave. Bring our precious children out of the Middle East. Let the muzzies kill each other like they were doing for years. If our people are not there, they will kill each other, since murder is the first sacrament of Islam.


6 posted on 08/07/2011 10:47:06 AM PDT by abclily
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To: KantianBurke
I’d be curious to know what morons wish for us to stay in that cesspool longer.

Dept of State.

7 posted on 08/07/2011 11:15:55 AM PDT by Sarajevo (Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?)
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To: abclily
Let the muzzies kill each other like they were doing for years.

No matter what we do, they'll always do that. There's no reason for our guys to try to stand between them. We took out Saddam and did our best on the rest. Times up.
We had the Taliban and it's supporters on the run until Oboma took over. That's a lost cause there now, too. No one is afraid of a community organizer for gosh sakes! Our people shouldn't be dieing because our president is incompetent. Get them out of there. I'm afraid that war is totally lost.
And, what the heck are we doing over Libya? That's an absolute disaster, not to mention a waste of time and economy.

8 posted on 08/07/2011 11:31:33 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks americanophile.
a joint Iraqi-American raid aiming at insurgents resulted in the killing of civilians
Apropos of nothing... I've been listening to an audiobook in the car, regarding the WWII campaign in n Africa, the campaign by the Greatest Generation, and during the most recent listening heard that nearly 800 civilian non-combatants died during a air raid in Algiers. The non-combatants killed in WWII probably dwarf the number of combatants killed in most of the previous wars combined. Anyway, I have no idea why I even brought that up.


9 posted on 08/07/2011 11:33:26 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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whoops, “an air raid”.


10 posted on 08/07/2011 11:36:19 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: americanophile

Destroy what we cannot bring out and bring the troops home.

We have spent enough lives there.

Do the same in Afghanistan. Pack up and ship back what you can, destroy what you cannot. The last air raid in Afghanistan should be the napalming of the poppy fields.


11 posted on 08/07/2011 11:48:05 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: abclily; Cheetahcat

absolutely agree with you. i have since before conservative writer Diane West said so,
(and she caught a lot of flak here for saying it!).

Iraq and Afghanistan have Sharia built INTO their “new democratic” constitutions. Even Turkey becomes more Islamic. if they let us bring in Bibles, maybe we COULD win hearts and minds that would make a difference.

instead, our troops must obey Sharia law!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2755526/posts
US Troops in Mideast Commanded to Abide by Sharia law during Ramadan

if our troops can’t freely practice their OWN religion, then we shouldn’t be there building MOSQUES !!!


12 posted on 08/07/2011 1:43:09 PM PDT by Elendur (It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Elendur
"absolutely agree with you. i have since before conservative writer Diane West said so, (and she caught a lot of flak here for saying it!). Iraq and Afghanistan have Sharia built INTO their “new democratic” constitutions. Even Turkey becomes more Islamic. if they let us bring in Bibles, maybe we COULD win hearts and minds that would make a difference. instead, our troops must obey Sharia law! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2755526/posts US Troops in Mideast Commanded to Abide by Sharia law during Ramadan if our troops can’t freely practice their OWN religion, then we shouldn’t be there building MOSQUES !!!"

Agreed Plus,They should have been handed a Constitution and TOLD to use it.These people are not fit for self rule.

13 posted on 08/07/2011 2:03:05 PM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: americanophile; All

“But others, in particular the influential cleric Moktada al-Sadr, say that keeping the troops in Iraq is just a continuation of the occupation.”

Why didn’t we kill him early on? He and his “militia” should have been anilated when we first took the ground in Iraq.


14 posted on 08/07/2011 8:31:22 PM PDT by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: IceAge

“But first, how bout bringing those troops home from
Germany?”

Dude, we don’t have significant troops in Germany anymore. Those there are mainly to support operations in S.W. Asia.


15 posted on 08/07/2011 8:33:31 PM PDT by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: Elendur; All

“Iraq and Afghanistan have Sharia built INTO their “new democratic” constitutions. Even Turkey becomes more Islamic. if they let us bring in Bibles, maybe we COULD win hearts and minds that would make a difference.”

The worst mistake made in both Iraq and Afghanistan was allowing Islamic states to be established. The one thing that we should ABSOLUTELY have required was a total freedom of religion for those countries; no “state” religion. That would eventually pacify them. Any “militant” Islamist that insisted on a Islamic state should have disappeared.


16 posted on 08/07/2011 8:38:13 PM PDT by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: Sola Veritas

I’ll never understand why he didn’t have an ‘accident.’


17 posted on 08/07/2011 10:28:06 PM PDT by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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