The Iraq War lurches into the ‘win’ column

9 08 2008

by twit

We’re pulling out of Iraq.

Via McClatchy on August 7, 2008:

BAGHDAD — The United States and Iraq are nearing completion of negotiations on a security agreement that would pull American troops out of Iraqi cities by next July and foresees all U.S. combat troops gone from Iraq by 2011, according to two Iraqi officials who are familiar with the negotiations.

… The U.S. agreement to set a specific date for the end of American operations in Iraqi cities and the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces marks a major turnaround for the Bush administration, which until last month had refused to discuss a timetable for withdrawal.

However, Iraqi officials were insistent that a date of some sort needed to be set.

… Under the agreement, the United States would pull its troops from Iraqi cities and onto American bases in Iraq by June 30, 2009, according to the Iraqi officials familiar with the negotiations.

We’ve won.

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5 responses

9 08 2008
leapsecond (18:17:38) :

Does this mean John McCain is lying about the whole 105 year war deal? Excellent.

Countdown to chaos in Iraq starting now… Let’s hope they can handle life without US troops.

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9 08 2008
twitterpaters (18:31:13) :

funny that you should bring up McCain – since he does seem to define victory as staying in Iraq indefinitely…

McCain also renewed his criticism of Obama’s call for a timeline to remove troops from Iraq, even as the U.S. and Iraq are near an agreement to pull American combat troops from the country by October 2010.

“Both candidates in this election pledge to end this war and bring our troops home. The great difference is that I intend to win it first,” McCain said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/7713482

The US and Iraq are coming to an agreement to disengage US forces from Iraq. That is victory – we are working with a sovereign nation that wants us out. We have won the battle to restore Iraq’s independence.

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10 08 2008
leapsecond (07:22:42) :

The question is how long Iraq will stay independent. Those artificially imposed borders makes me feel shaky about the Kurdish and Sunni minorities, ’specially with big ol’ Iran looming over their shoulder.

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10 08 2008
twitterpaters (08:42:46) :

It isn’t as if we are going to vanish from the region. This is more of a shift in tactics that results from recognizing the sovereignty of nations in the area.

According to The Guardian on July 16, 2008, the US is establishing a diplomatic presence in Iran:

The US is planning to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a remarkable turnaround in policy by president George Bush who has pursued a hawkish approach to Iran throughout his time in office.

The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a US interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy. The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country.

http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/diplomacy-what-is-it-good-for/

As to minority groups in Iraq, not only has our military presence been ineffective at protecting them, but all of the surrounding countries have an interest in their protection, considering how massive the refugee migration has been:

According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration in 2007, almost 5 million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country, the vast majority of which had fled since 2003.

Over 2.8 million vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq, while 2 million were living in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Gulf States. Most Iraqis are determined to be resettled to Europe or North America, and few consider return to Iraq an option.

Iraqis have no legal work options in most host countries and are increasingly desperate and in need of humanitarian assistance.

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679

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25 08 2008
The end of the Iraq War « The Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi (06:27:57) :

[...] The Iraq War lurches into the ‘win’ column [...]

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