Troops going back to Iraq

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

A fair question.

The withdraw timetable that Obama followed, I believe, was constructed by the Bush administration. To be fair, I don't recall conservatives attacking Bush for letting the enemy know when we were leaving.

However. The fact is, when Obama was calling the shots, many people were telling him that it was the wrong time for a complete withdrawal. Obama said the withdrawal wouldn't jeopardize the gain we had made.

Who was wrong in this case? Spence? Spence??

It is unbelievable how often this guy is 100% wrong.

So..
Let me ask it this way.

The Iraqi government wanted U.S. troops out. The American public seemed to want the troops out.

If we had just left, rather than on a 'announced timeline' in 2011, we are still THREE years out from that. ISIS etc.. would still have had 3 years to plan, whether we announced this or not, correct?

So the bigger issue, as I see your (and the Neocon) argument Jim, is that basically we should still have had troops in Iraq.

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

So..
If we had just left, rather than on a 'announced timeline' in 2011, we are still THREE years out from that. ISIS etc.. would still have had 3 years to plan, whether we announced this or not, correct?

That exactly was the point I was going to make. It is not like once 1 base was emptied, the enemy wouldn't figure we were leaving all the bases. Blaming Bush for something that happened 3 years later is silly. The whole problem was that the Sunni's (and Kurds) where mostly excluded from the govern. Had they felt included, Iraq might not be in this situation.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by PaulS

That exactly was the point I was going to make. It is not like once 1 base was emptied, the enemy wouldn't figure we were leaving all the bases. Blaming Bush for something that happened 3 years later is silly. The whole problem was that the Sunni's (and Kurds) where mostly excluded from the govern. Had they felt included, Iraq might not be in this situation.

True and the Kurds are the only trustworthy group
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