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Army Suicides at an All Time High | 28 comments (28 topical)

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Which experts believe the war cannot (1.00 / 1) (#2)
by Green26 on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 12:38:35 AM EST
be won militarily? Just curious as to whom you were referring to. I assume Petraeus is not in this camp. He would seem to be an expert. What's the reason for the qualification that the war cannot be won "militarily"? Isn't the real question whether the war can be won by whatever means? When the experts who are close to the situation decide the war can't be won, then obviously the US has to go to plans B or C. However, even if the war cannot be won, then it seems to me that the US has to consider the impacts of withdrawing from Iraq. A recent NY Times article discussed how most of the Democratic presidential candidates weren't even advocating complete or immediate withdrawl. The article also said that even the most optimistic people thought it would take at least a year to withdraw. Tough situation. Difficult decisions.

If we leave... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by Dadler on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 02:19:13 AM EST
...Iraqis fight it out themselves for their OWN destiny.  

If we stay, Iraqis fight it out with themselves AND us for their own destiny.

There was no Saddam-era Iraq that could be invaded into peace.  It was never a possibility.  Iraq was going to be self-transformation over time or, with circumstances like those we imposed, chaos and mayhem.  We chose to impose chaos.  And it says something that the place is now an infinitely bigger mess and less governable than it was during Saddam's reign.  Hell, we're arming and siding with his old pals now anyway.  Guess we should've left him there to counter Iran, eh?  The ironies abound.  And the bodies pile up like cordwood.

Petraeus, btw, is who most famously said the war cannot be won solely by the military.  The quote was bandied about, Harry Reid got into hot water dancing around with it, but the reality is... we are doing little to nothing in Iraq BUT militarily?  Have we employed Iraqis en masse to reconstruct?  Have we got the power up and running?  Clean water?  And on and on.  We invaded another nation for no legitimate reason.  Think long and hard about that.  And how wrong it was and continues to be.  And now to justify our presence because of the chaos we CHOSE to create?

The logic is absent.  The irrationality clear.  And have no reason to suspect any good will come of our terrible wrong there.  Wishful thinking is putting it beyond mildly.    


[ Parent ]

All of them (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by Sailor on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 10:11:35 AM EST
Which experts believe the war cannot be won militarily?

JCF Admiral Michael Mullen

Chuck Hagel

Gen Petraeus

War Czar Lute

etc.

[ Parent ]

It is not a "war". (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by Edger on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 11:19:48 AM EST
The "war" ended in 2003 about six weeks after the invasion.

It has been an illegal occupation and murderous debacle of monstrous proportions ever since.

The other war, for the minds of the peasants (the 26 percenters) was won long before the invasion began. It was short war. The losers had so little to offer.

[ Parent ]

Army Suicides at an All Time High | 28 comments (28 topical)

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