John McCain: Let’s Stay In Iraq For “100 Years”!

[ShadowFalcon]

You may not care, but you should acknowledge that the Iraqis do care. Poll after poll has shown that the vast majorities of Iraqis of all ethnicities and sects want U.S. troops out of their country. John McCain's insistence that they should stay in Iraq clearly shows his blatant disregard of the Iraqis' wishes for the complete withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq.

As for Cuba, I really don't see how this is applicable to Iraq given that the situation between those two countries are completely different.

I said 'as long as no harm is done'. If the Iraqis feel genuinely oppressed, and if America has no need to be in Iraq, then I would want them out, too. But right now the Iraqis aren't genuinely oppressed, and America needs to be in Iraq. So keep them there. And before you say that I support the war, I'm Canadian. I remember watching CNN the day Baghdad was bombed and remarking at how it was the behavior of a war-monger.

As for the Cuba thing, the situations aren't entirely different. America has been in Iraq for four years. America's fourth year in Cuba, they had recently finished fighting a war there. Perhaps the Phillipines are a better example. I believe that America left in '91, but that's still a good 92 years of American presence in the Phillipines. And Wikipedia tells me that the first 14 of those years had war.

[Uncle_Tbag]

You may not care, but you should acknowledge that the Iraqis do care. Poll after poll has shown that the vast majorities of Iraqis of all ethnicities and sects want U.S. troops out of their country. John McCain's insistence that they should stay in Iraq clearly shows his blatant disregard of the Iraqis' wishes for the complete withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq.

As for Cuba, I really don't see how this is applicable to Iraq given that the situation between those two countries are completely different.

If you actually believe that, you're oblivious.

Of course the people of Iraq wish we eventually withdraw from their nation and that's all the ridiculous polls will confirm, but they also are considerably appreciative of the help we continue to provide. We work with them, volunteers from both sects who wish to repel foreign fighters, insurgent forces, from Iraq. They also want as much help as they can get, restoring infrastructure we helped decimate, whether it's electricity, running water, sewage or trash removal. These basic services have often been disrupted and sabotaged by insurgents; and we continue to restore and protect them.

The greater majority of Iraqis are concerned that we will just ditch them and leave their country in shambles after we've torn it all apart. Most do fear we'll leave the nation a chaotic battlefield for insurgent forces to fight out in their city streets. Immediate withdrawal not only would confirm their fears, but at this point, would be an egregiously stupid move, after the considerable successes we've had in the past year.

The violence levels in Iraq have returned, in most areas, to levels in 2003. The stability is still tenuous, but we have been able to reduce our presence and return partial or full responsibility to Iraq's own security forces in many areas. Our surge has been a success, but we're by no means all through, where we can pack up and leave and expect that peace to continue.

[Uncle_Tbag]

I would expect better from someone who has fought in a war.

South Korea has a clearly-delineated border secured by thousands of U.S. troops, backed up by the defending army who were sympathetic to the U.S. troops, and hundreds of thousands of mines to keep the sides apart. How is that model similar to Iraq?

Japan's military and government were soundly beaten down and ultimately surrendered after massive sacrifice and expense. There was dissent among some of the population about whether to accept surrender, but there weren't dozens of religious/tribal/sectarian factions looking for an opportunity to wipe out their compe ors by civil war or ethnic cleansing. Again, how does he see this situation as proof that occupation will be peaceful?

Where do you get the idea that the people in Iraq are hostile towards us and vice versa?

[Wild Cobra]

Where do you get the idea that the people in Iraq are hostile towards us and vice versa?

Isn't it obvious?

Red is a Koolaide drinking Lemming. Information provided by the Alphabet News Networks, and liberal blogs.

[temujin]

All is going well in the most wonderful of the worlds.

After restoring peace and democracy in Saudi Arabia,
where the same family had ruled for 80 years,
in Kuwait,
in Somalia,
in Egypt (33 years of the elected Mubarak),
Morocco (can't remember),
Jordany (could be Michael Jordany, if he so wished),
after fighting that famous islamist criminal of Massoud,
who dared kicking the friendly and democratic soviets out of Afghanistan,
as the precious pakistani pashtun democrats suggested,
to restore the democratic regime of the Taliban (inch'allah, by the way)
american troops are peacefully, calmly and steadily restoring law, order -and democracy obviously- in Irak.

All this by patronizing a semi-state in Kurdistan,
democratic of course,
to the great joy of the islamist-turned-democratic state of Turkey.

The American popolation gratefully cheers.
And pump the resulting oil.

Great is the confusion under the stars.
Situation excellent.