Forget 100 Years Or Even 16 Months, We Can Get Out Of Iraq In A Year

Dr. Lawrence Korb knows his stuff when it comes to our nation's military. Thankfully he decided to go to work for the Center for American Progress and not become another parrot for the Bush Administration. He has a plan that can get us out of Iraq in a year's time and while that may not be much less than sixteen months, it is still four less months where our soldiers run the risk of dying in a country they have no business being in.

Iraq Continues To Stick With Obama Timeline

Despite the White House's best efforts, the Iraqi government is making it clear they want the United States' occupying force out of their country within two years. Neither Bush or McCain can do anything to stop it, other than lying their asses off to the American people.

Iraq Looking To Get Tough For Withdrawal Timeline

It is something that George Bush and his Republican drones have been against, it is what Democratic leaders have waffled on and something the Democratic base has wanted since we were ignored when we said "Do not go into Iraq." Now the Iraqis are speaking up and clamoring for it. That 'it' is a withdrawal timeline for U.S. soldiers to leave the country.

From RawStory:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

In a statement, Maliki's office said the prime minister made the comments about the security pact -- which will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31 -- to Arab ambassadors in the United Arab Emirates.

Unfortunately this is only talk, talk without definite dates of departure. Yet it is an important step for Maliki, who has never gone this route before. Of course George Bush will be fighting this tooth and nail, because without a presence in Iraq he cannot keep defense contractors rolling in the amount of dough they've grown accustomed it. Too bad for him he only has a little more than six months to go in his term.....when President Obama will work with al-Maliki to get our troops out of there.

Olbermann Scolds McCain On Importance

Another brilliant special comment from Keith Olbermann:



Nothing is better when attacking John McCain than using his own words against him.

McCain Destroys Morale Of The Troops

So says Brandon Friedman, Iraq war vet and VoteVets spokesman. McCain's comments angered plenty of veterans when he said it doesn't really matter when the troops come home.

McCain Doesn't See Lives Of Troops As Important

Once again McCain made himself look like an ass on television (probably since he is one) by talking about his supposed strong suit, the war in Iraq. If McCain wants to talk about the war and say that bringing the troops home isn't that important, then more power to him. Keep on talking Johnny boy, the American people are starting to understand what kind of scoundrel you are.



Senator, our troops stationed in South Korea, Japan and Germany aren't being shot at every single day. The reason we have those casualties is because the troops are in Iraq. We need to bring them home and John McCain is clearly against that.

McCain For Withdrawal After He Was Against It

No one makes the best anti-John McCain ads like John McCain:

McCain Was For Troop Withdrawal Before Being For It

This was November of last year, then when he became the favored candidate/nominee, he went 180 degrees and called for us to be there indefinitely. John McCain is a serial flip-flopper, where he stops, no one knows.

So Much For Our Troops

It always amuses me that Republican die-hards like to scream at the left that we hate the troops. I have a feeling that they like to stay at home all day and play with little toy soldiers, trapped in a bubble shielded from the reality that war is hell. They like kicking ass, but tune out the true human costs. Over 4,000 soldiers and contractors are dead, but to them that means nothing more than the hundreds of billions that we are spending (more like borrowing for) on the war itself. On the upside for these sick bastards, they have a friend in President Bush and his new lackey General Petraeus.

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is sending strong signals that U.S. troop reductions in Iraq will slow or stop altogether this summer, a move that would jeopardize hopes of relieving strain on the Army and Marine Corps and revive debate over an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq. [...]

Petraeus seems at this point to be inclined to declare a pause in troop reductions after July, although no decisions have been made and there are competing pressures from within the Pentagon. The Army in particular wants additional reductions to enable it to shorten Iraq tours from 15 months to 12 months. The longer tours are among pressures that Army leaders fear could break the force.

Petraeus speaks regularly with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other administration officials to keep them informed of his thinking, although he has not yet made a recommendation to Bush. A senior administration official said Petraeus has made clear he is "concerned about a rush to 10" _ a reference to the 10-brigade force level that some administration officials see as an attractive target to hit by the time Bush leaves the White House a year from now.

Well he better keep talking before trying to act on slowing the troop reductions. Our soldiers want to come home and their families want to see their Moms, Dads, and children as soon as possible. Military families realize that their loved ones are fighting a pointless war, so should the President.

Why Can't All the Candidates Do This?

Edwards isn't the only (Democratic) candidate that wants to end the war, but he is the only serious politician that has a serious plan. We know the Republican love to get their war on, false machismo is really all they can cling to. I'd like to think that our party is the one with a better head on it's collective shoulders and a party that can lead us out of the mess that seven years of George Bush created. After beginning to fix the Constitution (in order of importance) we must get our troops out of Iraq. Thankfully Edwards will do that.

From The NY Times:

Mr. Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina who is waging a populist campaign for the Democratic nomination, said that extending the American training effort in Iraq into the next presidency would require the deployment of tens of thousands of troops to provide logistical support and protect the advisers.

“To me, that is a continuation of the occupation of Iraq,” he said in a 40-minute interview on Sunday aboard his campaign bus as it rumbled through western Iowa.

In one of his most detailed discussions to date about how he would handle Iraq as president, Mr. Edwards staked out a position that would lead to a more rapid and complete troop withdrawal than his principal rivals, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, who have indicated they are open to keeping American trainers and counterterrorism units in Iraq.

When Iowa caucusers pick a corner tomorrow night, they should keep this in mind. When New Hampshire voters go in the ballot box later this month, they should keep this in mind. And when all the nation's Democrats go to vote in primary elections across the nation in the next few months.....well you know what to keep on your mind.