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Lambik

[quote=Texpat;694754]






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Anybody going to the homecoming parade? Panda, Anty, Sabang? Wanna join me? It'll be a great time. Budweiser and hotdogs with ketchup, cheering for the brave troops and waving our beloved flag.
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Budweiser is a poor-man's beer. .(Texpat 21 June 2008)

Texpat

I've never claimed to be rich -- and I ain't gonna offer that lot Krystal and caviar.

sabang

HOUSTON — President Bush agreed to “a general time horizon” for withdrawing American troops in Iraq, the White House announced Friday, in a concession that reflected both progress in stabilizing Iraq and the depth of political opposition to an open-ended military presence in Iraq and at home.

Mr. Bush, who has long derided timetables for troop withdrawals as dangerous, agreed to at least a notional one as part of the administration’s efforts to negotiate the terms for an American military presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.

The agreement, announced in coordinated statements released Friday by the White House and Prime Minister Maliki's government, reflected a significant shift in the war in Iraq. More than five years after the conflict began with the overthrow of Saddam Husseins government, the American military presence now depends significantly, if not completely, on Iraqi acquiescence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/wo...th&oref=slogin


Quite a shift in position- a turnaround actually. So Iraq will not be the big US middle eastern Barracks as envisaged. Oil will be the sole 'big thing' in Iraq. Then again, it always was.

I wonder if the US taxpayers will now start wondering about those huge US military facilities constructed by Halliburton on no bid contracts?

Or the fact that Baghdad contains the worlds largest embassy?

Still, in it's recent softening of positions on Iran and Iraq, the Bush admin is finally starting to show some common sense.

__________________
To err is human. To blame someone else is politics.

Milkman

Texpat:
The US forces will be in Iraq for 10-15 years or longer. Less numbers of them will be there of course, but their presence will be there. This was likely the intention.

I don't think there will ever be a victory parade. Because the definition of victory means different things to different people.

Also: equating the raising of the flag on Iwa Jima with Iraq?

sabang

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been quoted saying that US troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible".
He called US presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal".
In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel weekly, Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse the Democratic US presidential contender, but that keeping troops in Iraq for too long would cause trouble.
Obama has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.
"That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," Maliki was quoted as saying.
"Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems."

US troops should leave asap: Iraqi PM - Breaking News - World - Breaking News

Texpat

Al-Maliki should be careful what he wishes for. Wasn't his cabinet, a year ago when things looked grim, requesting US troops to remain well into the 20-teens?

I would imagine very few US servicemen want to stay there any longer than absolutely necessary. No booze. No babes. No porn. No fun.

Yeah, the forum handicaps anyone who wants to post a US flag by burying them into the 15th page of smilies. All the wanky brit smilies are right up there on top though in the pull-down menu. I can't be bothered to look. Guess I'm just not as patriotic as those poms who claim to despise patriotism.

machangezi

They have oil ........ and as long as they have oil those soldiers have their orders. Democracy eh?? Soldiers don't wanna fight but are forced to fight........ no different than the slaves that were foced to fight for their kings, is it??

Why do you think that American soldiers join the army for fun?? or are they told by their recruiters that they are gonna have a lot of fun??

If thats the case then no wonder why that Iraqi girl was raped and her whole family burned alive.

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Boon Mee

If you find yourself in Fallujah with a hankerin' for some yardbird, you're in luck!

Kentucky Fried Chicken Sizzles in Fallujah



How 'bout that Surge, eh?

Kentucky Fried Chicken Sizzles in Fallujah

bkkandrew

^Fuck yeah! Gonna have mother-fukin' Golden Arches in Tehran before were done with this mother-foking war!

ItsRobsLife

Not a good time to be a cat in Fallujah.

Texpat

So there I was yesterday, watching the news in my living room.

It appears half the Iraqi parliament seems to think a precipitous withdrawal of US troops is a good idea, the other half believe that a slower, measured exit is a much better idea.

I'll leave the guns and soldiers to the militarys -- and the decisions to the politicians. But what struck me is that the democratically-elected parliament, comprised of Iraqis of all flavors, is free to make independent policy based on what is best for their country. There is no 500-pound gorilla in the room swaying others with fear and reprisal. Open disagreement does not spell the end of a career/life. The lawmakers, elected by the people, have their own future in their hands.

The sun is shining on Baghdad.

Milkman

It may shine. We'll have to wait and see. But yes, it may shine in the future.

Thanks to over $1+ Trillion dollars of American taxpayer money.

A Shiite government in Iraq, linked with Iran. Basra will even be more semi-autonomous and allied and influenced with Iran.

machangezi

Seconded. A shit and puppet government in Iraq which is going to be toppled as soon as the Americans leave. Right now more emphasis is on who gets what. All future deals and ties are being set and all the major contracts for reconstruction of Iraq and its oil infrastructure going to American companies.

A good way to use U.N sanctions.... in 1972 when Iraqi oil was nationalized, American and British oil companies were thrown out while all major deals were set with companies from China, Russia, France etc etc but the dynamic duo imposed sanctions through their bitch U.N made sure that those companies won't get dick out of Iraq. When the time was right....BOOM!..... INVASION.... out goes Saddam and in comes the dynamic duo. What a fucked up world it is.

bkkandrew

Edited for accuracy.

ItsRobsLife

And how many Iraqi civillians lives did it cost for the US corporations to get what they wanted?

Nobody really knows do they, because they weren't considered important enough to be counted.

How about a guess... 250,000? 750,000? more?

And all that depleted uranium form spent munitions.. looks like the death toll isn't going to be stopping any time soon.

It's a dog eat dog world in big business.

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Panda

An Iran/Iraq Shia alliance would be the most likely outcome if and when the US pulls out of Iraq. The proposed puppet government in Iraq isn't responding entirely the way the US/UK invaders intended. They have refused to break from OPEC, they are resisting the denationalization of their oil industry, they are resisting a permanent presence by the invaders and they are forming closer ties with Iran. So they are not quite the subservient beaten dog puppet government the US and UK had hoped for.

If the US and its cronies pull out of Iraq the present Shia led government would need some assistance from Iranian Shia allies to control the country. Saddam Hussein brought some order and relative peace to Iraq by ruling with a brutal iron fist. Any future government of Iraq would have to do the same to avoid ongoing civil war. The Iraq government has a choice of allies to call on for the military muscle to subdue the powerful opposing ethnic factions. They can go with the USA and roll over to become puppets while their countries wealth is siphoned off, or they can go with Iran and maintain their autonomy. This is quite obviously the reason the US is reluctant to pull out. If they quit now, its all been for shit and back to square one or worse, (although Iraq would be much better off without them in the long run).

The present government in Iraq is clearly strengthening ties with Iran while at the same time resisting political, military and economic domination by USA.
There isn't room in Iraq for both USA and Iran.
The true liberators of Iraq may well end up being Iran.

sabang

While the major major contracts have yet to be awarded, so far this is not the case. Even the French Total group has been awarded contracts, which pleasantly surprised me. And obviously BP & Shell have their snouts in the trough too.

Texpat

Might want to edit the author for accuracy as well.

Panda

I believe the present oil exploration and development contracts are only very short term, 2 years and now proposed to be cut to only one year. FOXNews.com - Iraq to Limit No-Bid Oil Contracts With Major Companies to One Year - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

Denationalization of the Iraqi oil industry would necessitate much longer term contracts to attract serious bidders willing to invest for the long term.

Inviting the big companies in on no-bid short term contracts is probably a pretty smart thing to do at the moment while the future direction of US policy re the occupation is up in the air due to pending domestic US elections. Iraq needs the big companies expertise to turn their latent oil resources into much needed cash when the US pulls out. The Iraqi government hasn't sold out the Iraqi people just yet. As I see it they are just buying time (and expertise) without committing to anything long term.

However the Kurds have been signing long term oil and gas development contracts which the Iraqi central government has declared illegal.
VOA News - US Investigating Iraqi Oil Contracts

I guess the Kurds game plan is that if they can encourage enough foreign investment in their region the USA will protect them and allow them to form a separate country.

bkkandrew

Is he a member of the board? If not, it might be a bit tricky...

Its all right Tex, I do accept that you didn't acutally author the original article.