August 12, 2005

LET GO, GEORGE:

In Iraq, No Clear Finish Line: Timing Is Muddy For U.S. Pullout (Peter Baker, August 12, 2005, Washington Post)

The Bush administration has sent seemingly conflicting signals in recent days over the duration of the U.S. deployment to Iraq, openly discussing contingency plans to withdraw as many as 30,000 of 138,000 troops by spring, then cautioning against expectations of any early pullout. Finally yesterday, President Bush dismissed talk of a drawdown as just "speculation and rumors" and warned against "withdrawing before the mission is complete."

If the public was left confused, it may be no more unsure than the administration itself, as some government officials involved in Iraq policy privately acknowledge.

The shifting scenarios reflect the uncertain nature of the mission and the ambiguity of what would constitute its successful completion. For all the clarity of Bush's vow to stay not one day longer than needed, the muddled reality is that no one can say exactly when that will be.


Our children stop needing us long before we're ready.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 12, 2005 11:12 AM
Comments

I suspect most of the confusion is purposefully aimed at denying the terrorists any claim of victory.

Posted by: Chris Durnell at August 12, 2005 11:17 AM

I agree with Chris, especially with another milestone (August 15) approaching.

Posted by: kevin whited at August 12, 2005 11:33 AM

Still with the loaded language.

When we leave, it won't be a "pullout".
Noun: To break off a military action with an enemy.

Rather, it will be the same way we "pulled out" of Granada, Germany, and Japan. We vanquished the enemy so there's no reason to stick around.

Posted by: fred at August 12, 2005 1:12 PM

If someone's confused it's their own damned fault. But if it's the chatteratti, the Caliphascists and the Saadamites ... wonderful.

Posted by: Genecis at August 12, 2005 2:02 PM

Agree with the above. Bush needs to straddle the line of telling people troops will be coming home without giving a timetable to the terrorists. '06 for significant troop withdrawals stills seems probable unless Iraq really falls apart.

Posted by: AWW at August 12, 2005 2:40 PM

fred, did you forget we also left them battered and broken.

Posted by: erp at August 12, 2005 7:24 PM

Folks, we are not pulling completely out of Iraq for quite a long time (at least two generations). After all, we need to maintain a forward base of operations for ME. Which means, there will be at least one Army division and one AF wing there for at least those two generations.

Say it with me, OJ: Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq.

Posted by: Brad S at August 13, 2005 4:03 AM

Brad:

And? We aren't out of Germany or Japan yet either. The wars are over though.

Posted by: at August 13, 2005 8:13 AM

WTF? By all means we shall "pull out" of the middle east the way we pulled out of Germany and Japan. Are those who think we have in fact pulled out of those places blind or merely stupid?

Y.O.S. was stationed in Japan in the 1970's and our No. 1 son is serving in Korea, another imperial outpost, as I write.

Posted by: Lou Gots at August 13, 2005 2:34 PM
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