exit strategy

[Undercutter]

the iraq elections are early next year. we should tell the new iraqi government that if they need help and protection they should ask us to stay, so that it is clear that we are not occupyers, but a force staying in an arab country at the request of arab government. we should also make sure that there is a range of candidates campaigning for iraqi government that campaign on the platform that if they are elected they will ask all american forces to leave immediately. isn't that the best exit strategy - to be asked to leave ?

powell conceded that if iraqi government asks us to leave, we will leave, but he doesn't think that will happen... of course that will not happend if we don't let anti-american elements to have any say in politics over there, so that they have to resort to killing to make their point.

do you think that would be a good position for kerry to emphasize as well, as the only possible exit strategy?

[Undercutter]

1. we need

to makes this an iraq vs terrorists issue as opposed to america vs terrorists issue.

Actually when you frame the question that way, I don't think that there is any doubt that we will be asked to leave right after the election. From what we know about muslim mentality over there it would be a political suicide for any arab leader to actually ask us to stay in the arab country, so all we need is to give them this option, and we are out of there, whooo-hoooo. And, if by some miracle they actually do ask us to stay, that still makes the situation a lot better for the reasons i outlined above.

[Massacure]

2. Iraq has a police force that is now more than 100,000 strong

I'm sure it will be able to get another 100,000 by the time the time 2005 rolls around. It would allow the U.S. to reduce troop amounts somewhat. Of course the U.S. will keep a force in there, just in case the Iraqi force breaks up. I don't see that happening though.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Where did you get that 100,000 figure

I haven't seen that reported anywhere? The reports I've seen, seem to imply that there is, let's say, a fair bit of turnover.

[Undercutter]

4. reply

"I'm sure it will be able to get another 100,000 by the time the time 2005 rolls around. It would allow the U.S. to reduce troop amounts somewhat."

we won't need to keep any troops over there in 2005 if they ask us to leave, that was the original topic...

[Undercutter]

5. then again

i think chalabi might have said the same thing, and look what happened to him.

This administration has no intentions of leaving Iraq any time soon, if ever.
Our reconstruction projects currently include building military bases and navel ports for our troops to stay indefinitely, halliburton is making money so all is well.