Posted on 01/06/2020 12:25:13 PM PST by cann
The United States-led military coalition against Islamic State said on Monday that it was pulling out of Iraq and would be repositioning forces over the next few days and weeks, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
"Sir, in deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement," read a letter from United States Marine Corps Brigadier General William H. Seely III, the commanding general of Task Force Iraq.
The authenticity of the letter, which was addressed to the Iraqi defence ministry's Combined Joint Operations Baghdad, was confirmed to Reuters independently by an Iraqi military source.
"We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure," it said. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
“If I researching correctly, it looks like the Sunnis are going to need the Kurds to control Iraq.
I see a civil war in Iraq within the next year.”
There is already a civil war between the sunning and the shia in central Iraq. The Kurds operate pretty independently up north and care not a whit what happens to the shia and sunni south of them. I have no doubt that this will open up the civil war down south within weeks as sunni jihadists from all over the middle east come to fight the Iranian shia. Brilliant move if Trump can get both of these detestable enemies to kill each other
This is too good, I love it... lol rofl
On 09/11/2001, the United States was not heavily involved in the Middle East. Seems to me I made that same claim years ago, and was shot down on it. Perhaps one of you can remind me if it is wrong.
We weren’t in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria. We were not engaged in an ongoing theater-wide ongoing battle. We had no designs on beginning one.
Then 09/11 took place, and we entered into these nations over time.
The point I am making, is that withdrawing from the region is not a precursor to peace. Our largest sneak attack since Pearl Harbor took place when we were disengaged.
As a global force for good, the United States needs contacts, allies, and working relationships. We need feet on the ground, and working operational relationships.
Perhaps folks idea of the United States future role is that of a larger United Kingdom.
Maybe that works for you, your world view, but it does not work for the world view the United States has maintained since World War II.
We have been the global arbiter of reason. The one exception was Vietnam, and I would submit we had the right idea there, just not the right execution. Democrats proved what has been a fact since, they just can’t manage a war campaign any longer.
If we leave Iraq, that will put Iran in the cat-bird’s seat. It will dominate Iraq and essentially become the parental state controlling Iraq.
I remember back to a time when the Soviet Union had a strong presence in the region. Libya, Syria, the Arab states, many of them were bosom buddies with Russia.
If we had to take action in the Mediterranean, we had competition. There was an opposing fleet, air bases, military advisors, the danger of super-power conflict.
Today we are alone there. That is not going to continue. China is already making it known it wants to become a player there.
Is that something we want? Do we want an open competition for power in that region with it’s proximity to Europe?
I see comments about folks wanting to bring our troops home. Okay lets look at that.
If we bring our troops home from Iraq, who defends our Embassy? If we bring our troops home from other nations in the region, who protects our embassies?
Essentially, in a few short years we could lose a number of embassies around the region.
Even if we kept them where they are, who would be in charge of how policy was meted out in the region? In fact, our State Department would be playing all sorts of mind games with Trump (and the next guys [gals]). They’d be the only game in town on the scene. Did that work out well in the Ukraine?
Does that strike anyone as a solid way to move deeper into the 21st Century?
Remind me who from the State Department faulted Hillary Clinton after the events at Benghazi. Our Ambassador Stevens and three other people were killed there. Not a whimper was lofted by the State Department. “What does it matter anyway?”, was the operational strategy of the day.
Vacuums will always be filled. If we leave the Middle East like I read about here almost every day, we will no longer be a player in the region. The North of Africa and a large segment of Western Asia and South Eastern Europe will be devoid of our presence.
Israel will stand alone in the region. We will pay lip service to supporting it, but everyone in the region will know that we don’t want to get involved on the ground any longer. Terrorists will focus on Israel. It will get exponentially worse.
As China signs agreements with regional agreements for ports, and spreads some yen around, things will get very dicey for a return to the region, if events warrant.
China will be able to open air bases in the region.
I submit the fastest way for us to become like the present day United Kingdom, is for us to withdraw troops from places around the world.
All our gains and status would be gone.
Don’t kid yourselves, the Left has cherished the idea of what some of you are proposing. They DO NOT want us expanding our ideology around the world. They want our influence to wane.
As we bring troops home, our armed services will be reduced. Our carrier groups will be cut back. Our NAVY will shrink further.
In short, you folks wittingly or not, are advocating for laying the groundwork for the U. S. to stop being the world’s major hegemonic force.
China will replace us.
That’s the only foreseeable result from what I am seeing proposed.
I ask folks to please reconsider your demands. It’s not going to wind up like you think, with a stronger U. S.
Foreign trade depends on free shipping lanes and air space security.
If we withdraw, we’ll be withdrawing from far more than one or two nations in the Middle East, that will result in everything being peachy around the world.
It will be the inception point of our demise as the sole super-power.
China is not sleeping. I’m afraid some of us are.
A lot of things are in motion now - I’d guess that more excitement is on the way in the coming weeks.
Beforehand, it would just be wise to bring in all the small elements into the big bases, and get the non-essentials out of there completely.
Thank you ctdonath2. More thoughts on the subject, and others may find them of interest.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3806016/posts?page=103#103
“I submit the fastest way for us to become like the present day United Kingdom, is for us to withdraw troops from places around the world.”
No, not likely.
In fact the opposite is true.
Key point of a well constructed post.
At THEIR request.
Now the dems will be hard pressed to criticize him for withdrawing the troops from a place they should never have been.
Although they can back it up with the killing of Soleimani, but Trump can claim, rightly so, that he had no idea Iraq would demand the US leave.
A quote from an 1899 book by Winston Churchill, "The River War", in which he describes Muslims he apparently observed during Kitchener's campaign in the Sudan
“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property - either as a child, a wife, or a concubine - must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.
Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen; all know how to die; but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science - the science against which it had vainly struggled - the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”
Now Esper is saying the letter was a rough draft, should NOT have been released..I wonder who leaked it
No, I disagree with destroying anything that can be moved.
However, the airbase and any properties that the US has developed should be rendered useless to the muslims, however they see fit, so they cannot use them against us.
It’s always good to see things in light of Bible prophecy. The US does not appear to be a player in the end times scenarios mentioned in Ezekiel or Revelation. This could be why.
Nah.
We bring troops home and both parties will support reducing our armed forces.
Does that make us stronger?
Along with that comes reductions in equipment, and readiness.
I don’t relish the idea of none of our active forces having served in combat before.
We need experienced men.
[I guess it’s time to pack up and let Iran and Iraq settle it. I have to believe that Iraq would rather partner with us than them.]
Ancient people took an ass whooping there.
Russia took an ass whooping there.
The U.S. has taken an ass whooping there.
I would love to see China take a turn.
All over a freaking area mostly composed of worthless dessert.
An area not fit for man nor beast.
“F” the mid-easterners and the horses they rode in on.
Nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
“I don’t relish the idea of none of our active forces having served in combat before.”
that’s an argument for endless war.
That said, your argument about reduced funding is certainly valid.
There is a lot more in play than what you address.
[Nah.
We bring troops home and both parties will support reducing our armed forces.
Does that make us stronger?
Along with that comes reductions in equipment, and readiness.
I don’t relish the idea of none of our active forces having served in combat before.
We need experienced men.]
They are also posting that the release of the letter is a mistake.
I don’t think it’s a mistake.
Even if it is not signed, it will give the Iraq leaders something to think about.
Trump does NOTHING by accident.
I actually saw that on DU.
At the very least, it will give the Iraq’s something to think about.
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