Obama: US troops out of Iraq by 2010

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The Scotsman

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US President Barack Obama has announced he will withdraw his country's combat forces from Iraq by the end of August 2010.

The 18-month timetable marks a historic juncture in a war that has been enormously costly to the US and defined the presidency of George W Bush.

It has been a huge drain on the Treasury, cost the lives of some 4,250 US soldiers and damaged America's standing in the world.

"I have chosen a time-line that will remove our combat brigades over the next 18 months. Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," Mr Obama said at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina.

But Mr Obama said 35,000 to 50,000 troops would remain to train and equip the Iraqi forces, protect civilian reconstruction projects and conduct limited counter-terrorism operations.

"Under the Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government, I intend to remove all US troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. We will complete this transition to Iraqi responsibility, and we will bring our troops home with the honour that they have earned," he said.

Mr Obama's decision to leave a sizeable force to bolster stability was welcomed by congressional Republicans, including former presidential candidate Senator John McCain, while some Democrats were concerned too many troops would remain in Iraq.


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090227/twl-obama-us-troops-out-of-iraq-by2010-41f21e0.html
 
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You know what is so funny about this.

back during the primarys when Obama said he would start to pull troops out within the first 30 days blah blah blah

Rush said that if he won he would not be pulling anyone out before 2010 and even then he will leave 60 to 70 thousand troops there.

He was off by a few thousand with the troops to stay but other than that he nailed obama dead on with what he would do
 
That's because the script for this drama was written a very long time ago.
 
You know what is so funny about this.

back during the primarys when Obama said he would start to pull troops out within the first 30 days blah blah blah

Rush said that if he won he would not be pulling anyone out before 2010 and even then he will leave 60 to 70 thousand troops there.

He was off by a few thousand with the troops to stay but other than that he nailed obama dead on with what he would do

Yeah, he's stalling around...I think they should all be pulled out immediately.

However, I hardly think Limbaugh is the voice of reason here..he supported Bush's failed policy right up to the end...and if he had his way, they'd never come home.
 
Yeah, he's stalling around...I think they should all be pulled out immediately.

However, I hardly think Limbaugh is the voice of reason here..he supported Bush's failed policy right up to the end...and if he had his way, they'd never come home.

I dont know that Rush agrees with what obama is doing, just that he pegged it so close all those months ago.


why do you think obama is waiting so long and why do you think he is leaving 50k troops there
 
I dont know that Rush agrees with what obama is doing, just that he pegged it so close all those months ago.


why do you think obama is waiting so long and why do you think he is leaving 50k troops there

Because he has to. At this point a quick pullout still destabilizes the country and most likely results in open civil war. There are crucial national elections coming up in Iraq around the end of the year as well that are a consideration. If it was practical he would pull them out sooner, but he faces the same problems Bush had... it is not practical to pull out quickly, even with an improved situation on the ground.
 
Because he has to. At this point a quick pullout still destabilizes the country and most likely results in open civil war. There are crucial national elections coming up in Iraq around the end of the year as well that are a consideration. If it was practical he would pull them out sooner, but he faces the same problems Bush had... it is not practical to pull out quickly, even with an improved situation on the ground.

what you say makes sense to me but what I cant figure out is

why did obama say right away during the primary
and how did rush nail it so perfectly

Rush could not have known all these factors you speak of today durning the primarys a year ago
 
what you say makes sense to me but what I cant figure out is

why did obama say right away during the primary
and how did rush nail it so perfectly

Rush could not have known all these factors you speak of today durning the primarys a year ago

No who actually understands anything believed Obama was going to simply pull out of Iraq right away.

Just a difference between campaigning and actually leading I suppose.
 
No who actually understands anything believed Obama was going to simply pull out of Iraq right away.

Yes, that's true...but it sure flies right in the face of the GOP's claim during the campaign about how liberal he is.

Obama's speech bothered me because, though he set a timetable, it sounded like a Republican lite special. Code phrases like "responsible removal" or "transitional forces"..have got me concerned, but I've always known Obama was more of a centrist.

Anyway, if a hawk like you, someone who looks for war at every turn, is somewhat pleased....there's reason for worry.
 
Yes, that's true...but it sure flies right in the face of the GOP's claim during the campaign about how liberal he is.

Obama's speech bothered me because, though he set a timetable, it sounded like a Republican lite special. Code phrases like "responsible removal" or "transitional forces"..have got me concerned, but I've always known Obama was more of a centrist.

Anyway, if a hawk like you, someone who looks for war at every turn, is somewhat pleased....there's reason for worry.

I am a hawk that "looks for war at every turn?" Explain.
 
but what about the 50 thousand troops staying

what are they going to be doing and arnt they going to be just sitting ducks?

As stated they are going to be involved in training Iraq security forces, helping with logistics, giving equipment, and helping in counter-terrorism operations. Another aspect is covering the departure of the other forces I would imagine.

They wont officially be combat troops, but they will be able to defend themselves and be involved in operations.
 
I am a hawk that "looks for war at every turn?" Explain.

Every time there's a little saber rattling, particularly from countries that are no real threat such as Iran, you and the other hawks go into armchair war mode...in which you immediately start speculating about what to do about this terrible "threat", ideas that almost always involve death and destruction.
 
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As stated they are going to be involved in training Iraq security forces, helping with logistics, giving equipment, and helping in counter-terrorism operations. Another aspect is covering the departure of the other forces I would imagine.

They wont officially be combat troops, but they will be able to defend themselves and be involved in operations.

It sounds like you think they will be safe. I trust your judgement on this so I wont worry to much about it.

By chance now that Obama is starting a new combat plan for Afganastan, did he mention an exit strategy?
 
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