Do you think this is just a ploy?

[Racenut20]

The Administration now saying they will leave Iraq if ask???

Get the faithful sheep to think, gee this bunch of criminals really do want to end the war?????

Get the "New Iraq Government", whatever the hell that is to beg them to stay???

I believe both those thoughts. Tell me I am wrong.

[MichaelUK]

1. It's a ploy

Bush knows that the general populace of the US is too dumb to do anything about him being in Iraq. BUT, the UK, America's only real ally in this whole mess, has recently been filled with stuff about how Blair should pull away from the US and Bush, so as to try and avoid any possible terrorist attacks.

So Bush thinks: "Sh*t, Tony's going. I gotta make it look like I'm doing something here." And so he issues this proclamation.

Plus, let's not forget he's still smarting after finding out that his troops are a bunch of torturers.

[dmr]

6. Well, he's only smarting because he got found out

But you're right, Bush* isn't going to leave Iraq.

[FloridaPat]

2. Powell is the only one saying that and within 1 hour of saying it,

the administration came out and said it wasn't true. Not going to happen until the oil sale contracts have been signed and every drop of oil is out of the ground. Or we get someone with morals and ethics in the White House and elsewhere. And we get a population that thinks conservation is better than sending soldiers to war to protect gas prices for SUV's.

[jokerman93]

3. They have contimgency plans -- Plan B

They're already softening up Syria. We'll see an "irrefutable" justification soon enough for a new invasion and ME Neocon control center -- that is, if they don't completely tank out with this torturegate thing.

But then, there's Plan C. Don't want to think about that.

[Pepperbelly]

4. Maybe ... if hope lives in the world, they are beginning to recognize ...

that their situation is dismal and without a serious possibility of success. They cannot even figure out how to define "success" in their Iraq mugging.

Although I had much ambivilance at the beginning of the war and afterward, saw a duty to fix what we broke, I have come to realize that the only viable road is that leaving Baghdad. There are simply no arguments for staying that make even a shred of sense. There is no "white man's burden" or other such nonsense. The Iraqi people could do a better job of organizing their country than we are.

The proof is in the pudding and you have to go no farther than Fallujah to taste it. Fallujah was a total cluster-fuck for the forces of the United States. Yet, when Saddam's general took tactical control of the city, it was placated. That leads me to the inescapable conclusion that WE are the biggest problem on the ground in Iraq.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Watch The Wording...

Pretty much Powell is just re-packaging the same shit that's been peddled about how things will be after June 30 (should that still be a realistic date) and to pretend that whatever puppet we put in will be a legitimate government (which it won't). Sure, we'll close down the CPA and Negraponte will play overlord from the U.S. Embassy/Home Depot/Wal Mart that he'll rule on high from.

As long as there are 130,000...soon to be 150,000 friendly Americans with M-16s in your country, how much real soverignty do you have? When you hear mention of troop withdrawls and re-deployments, then you're talking a different story, but this regime has no reverse gear. We're headed headlong into hell and Powell is being served up again...and again, he's doing what Harry Belefonte said he would.

[Spazito]

7. The key is "if asked"...

Seeing as the bush admin controls all aspects of the transition, has already said that it will be a "limited sovereignty", they KNOW they will not be asked. The bush admin didn't spend millions on new bases in Iraq to turn around and leave. I watched Powell during a press conference of G8 Foreign Ministers and there is no way in hell the US is going to leave.

[OneBlueSky]

8. they have no intention of leaving Iraq . . . ever . . .

the whole reason for invading was to establish a permanent military presence in the region while controlling the oil . . . we'll leave only if BushCo is removed from office . . . despite what Kerry is saying now, he'll have no choice but to develop a quick exit strategy once in office . . . jmho, of course . . .