Changing your mind about Iraq

[Tipsy]

I'm just going to say it flat out that I think we should pull out of Iraq, but my question is what would it take for support staying in Iraq? I bring this up because last month, May, was the lowest number of casualties in Iraq to date, casualties not being this low since February 2004.

VOA News - US Troop Deaths in Iraq Decline to Wartime Low

U.S. military deaths in Iraq plunged in May to the lowest monthly total since the war began, while Iraqi military and civilian casualties also fell sharply.

The U.S. military said Sunday that 19 U.S. servicemen were killed in Iraq last month, the lowest number since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.

The toll for May is one fewer than the previous monthly low for U.S. military deaths - 20 - set in February of 2004.

[RavenholdtRogueL13]

IMO, you can't create democracy in another nation that is not your own with your own military. I would like nothing more than for the U.S. to pull out of Iraq, but we can't do that now. We've made a mess over there, and now we have to clean it up. Of course, we have to pay for it. Meanwhile, Iraqi's, who never asked us to go over there in the first place, are expected to just line up for our soldiers and go to 'security camp' where they can learn to fight for a democratic nation they never asked for in the first place.

Go Bush! Good job! How's that Manifest Destiny looking right now...and we are pushing 5,000 soldiers dead now. Was it worth it? With no WMD's found, with now link between Al Qaeda and Hussein found (anyone who knows anything about those two knows that there would be no link because they hated each other...Bin Ladin offered to kill Hussein for us, we turned him down)...but now, because of Bush, we have to stay and clean up a mess that never should have been made in the first place.

My head hurts.

[x42bn6]

It may be of a "relief" for Al-Qaeda to look at that and realise that every sharp drop in "body count" is followed by a sharp surge in "body count". As a mathematician, more data is good, but I suppose it's morbid to wait for more deaths.*

[gf4444]

It's the common rule, "you break it, you buy it" - we broke the country - we need to fix it now...

[Dial Myna]

Originally Posted by Tipsy

I'm just going to say it flat out that I think we should pull out of Iraq, but my question is what would it take for support staying in Iraq?

A reason to be there. Or those tricky WMDs that never really existed.

[CelestialBadger]

It's the common rule, "you break it, you buy it" - we broke the country - we need to fix it now...

total agreement with the genius misusing idioms. we need to BUY iraq!

[Uncle_Vanya]

Originally Posted by CelestialBadger

total agreement with the genius misusing idioms. we need to BUY iraq!

Well, you don't need to buy Iraq as much as you need to buy their oil fields, which is what you are doing, 5 no bid oil field contracts to American companies issued by Iraqie gov't this past month. Congrats, mission accomplished, now you have to stay there permanently to protect the fields you bought.

On-Topic: The only thing at this point that can change people's minds about Iraq is another major terrorist attack on US soil, doesn't even have to be related to Iraq one bit, 9/11 wasn't, the Washington politicians will be able to use their fearmongering tactics effectively enough to dismiss anyone who wants to get out of Iraq as a "terrorist supporter" as Bush did for most of his first term until the public caught on...but reelected him anyways. But yeah, thats the only thing at this point.

[thebastardsword]

lol, and now the iraqis want to kick us out

[Uncle_Vanya]

Originally Posted by DwightSchrute

lol, and now the iraqis want to kick us out

And Bush is all like "Oh no they didn't!!!"...in that he actually denies that Iraqie officials said that they want US troops out, even though it was on international television there the Iraqie officials made their request.

[N[U]TS]

Originally Posted by DwightSchrute

lol, and now the iraqis want to kick us out

Oh really..... why is it my cousin and other military troops are adored by the Iraqi people? Hell they offer them gifts etc. for what they have done. After so many years under Saddam its no wonder why people have just become use to the life style and dont want somone to come save them for fear of losing family etc.

[thebastardsword]

the politicians...u know how they are

[Tipsy]

Update on Iraq:
Article

Iraqis: Deal close on plan for US troops to leave
BAGHDAD - Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldiers out three years after that, two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. U.S. officials, however, insisted no dates had been agreed.

If this time frame passed would you support it?

[electricmole]

yes, but why 2010 i suggest they should live now or else another bombing will happen before 2010. xp

[Uncle_Vanya]

Originally Posted by electricmole

yes, but why 2010 i suggest they should live now or else another bombing will happen before 2010. xp

You mean another 9/11? Well Iraq was never responsible for 9/11 in the first place.

[electricmole]

oh yeah, my bad. thats just being dumb on my part, it was iran.

[allen982]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Vanya

You mean another 9/11? Well Iraq was never responsible for 9/11 in the first place.

No the US Government was.

[allen982]

It will be bad news if the US pull out of Iraq because it will most likely mean an invasion of the country with only one different letter in its name

[MeltingPrism]

Originally Posted by Tipsy

I'm just going to say it flat out that I think we should pull out of Iraq, but my question is what would it take for support staying in Iraq? I bring this up because last month, May, was the lowest number of casualties in Iraq to date, casualties not being this low since February 2004.

VOA News - US Troop Deaths in Iraq Decline to Wartime Low

I'm an economist, so I'm going to do a cost benefit analysis on if we should pull out of Iraq or not. The simple answer is it depends on what you care about. .

[Tipsy]

Originally Posted by MeltingPrism

I'm an economist, so I'm going to do a cost benefit analysis on if we should pull out of Iraq or not. The simple answer is it depends on what you care about. .

And what is it that you care about?