We may start pulling troops out of Iraq by May

[cally]

I was able to ask General Clark at an event last night if the * administration would start pulling troops out for the midterm elections. He thought they would start pulling troops out by May. He thinks the * maladministration wants out of Iraq and that we'll leave behind a disaster.

I've thought for a long time that there is no way that the Repugs will go to the midterms without reducing troops in Iraq. Everything they do is for political purposes and not for policy and strategic purposes. I'm for leaving Iraq but I want it done so we don't leave a disastrously unstable country behind.

[kentuck]

1. Yeah, we've "pulled out" about 2245 already...

Not counting the thousands and thousands that left because they couldn't walk or see...

[More Than A Feeling]

2. What do you want to bet that they either:

A: completely ignore the Murtha plan, and botch the drawdown because they only bring home a few thousands at a time, making the soldiers still in country considerably less safe.

or

B: Use the Murtha plan, and claim it was their idea to begin with, a la Homeland Security.

[shireen]

3. and put them into Iran. He's a war preszidente ya know. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

4. How nice. A little break before the Iran war starts.

Isn't that thoughtful of the Chimp and the Dick Tater?

[peacebaby3]

5. All I can tell you is that many units that have already been are

getting redeployed again this year.

My husband went March '03 - April '04 and the unit he is in (as well as many others from our state) have been called up again and are to be at Ft. Benning in July and deploy to Iraq in August.

My husband retires in September after 20 years in and has already filed his papers a year out so he is off the list right now because he has accumulated nearly 60 days of leave and he gets 4-5 weeks of transition time so he should be able to leave by the first of June. As of right now, they cannot pull his retirement papers, but they have already called him in to try to intimidate him into pulling them saying things like he should be ashamed to let his men go without him and other horrible things, but he has stood his ground and said he has done his time in two "wars." I'm really terrified that they are going to force him to go, but he is assuring me that it is not going to happen. I won't breathe easy until he is officially retired.

I think they will still have roughly 100,000 troops in Iraq through the remainder of this year. Just my opinion though based on what I hear through the grapevine.

[cally]

7. I hope he does get out soon

and he is right to hold his ground. I hope they do reduce troops in a safe way for the troops and the Iraqis. This war is a fiasco from beginning to end.

[peacebaby3]

8. Thanks! I agree this war is a total fiasco! n/t

[ariellyn]

6. Shell game. Pull 'em out there, deploy them elsewhere. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. "Pulled out" no. "Kicked out" yes.