Today's announcement: WE ARE LEAVING IRAQ. Is this NOT a timetable?

[Nimrod2005]

Per this morning's news from Rummy. Is this NOT giving the terrorist a date? a timetable?

When Dems mention this, the right goes crazy saying we can't let them know a date because they will just wait it out...etc. We just did, we just said:

W E A R E L E A V I N G!!! Guess what? Al Zarqawi knows that we decided to leave...


How many soldiers, in three months or six months...etc. is less important, they news will be, the US is leaving Iraq.

[matt819]

1. Yes, and no

My guess is that this is pure politics, designed to generate a bump in the polls that maybe, just maybe, they can continue to capitalize on as 2006 moves on. I'll bet that you'll see troop levels go up and down so many times in 2006 that by the time the elections come around, the voters will be absolutely sure that they are on their way down, when it fact there will have been almost no change at all. This is a shell game.

What I think will be most interesting is what happens to troop levels when the new radical Shi'a Iraqi government asks the Americans to leave.

[Nimrod2005]

2. And you can count on the Shia to bite the hand which fed them...

These people are the most radical people on earth!!! And Bush just gave them a nice country with serious resources!!!

What a mess this is going to be, FOR YEARS to come.

[enigma000]

5. You think the Shia are pretty radical?

More than the Sunnis in Saudi Arabia? Or the Sunni Chetzens? Or the excitable Sunnis in Pakistan?

[Nimrod2005]

7. Yes, I am. Everything that blows up in any part of a Moslim

country is usually supported by Iran/Shia, and financed by Saudi money...Saudis/Kuwaitis...etc. are fake Moslims, that's why Osama wants them out...Shia really believe the bullshit you hear about.

[enigma000]

11. So the Shia are fanning the flames of holy war

Makes sense considering the Apocalyptic rhetoric we are hearing from the Iranian President. Might explain why the one region in Iraq - the Kurdish provinces in the north - that is going well is populated by Kurds, who are Sunni.

[Nimrod2005]

12. Yup, and they do think there is going to be 2nd coming of someone

Just like some people we know...Thats' what makes this conflict so dangerous, more than ever.

If we have the American Taliban lead by W. and them there all racing to heaven because we are SOOOOO near the end of time, then it is going to be big troubles!!!

[zanne]

9. Aren't they just going back to pre-election levels?

They've done that before. They rev up the number of troops a few months before an election, then announce that they're "sending troops home".

[LeftNYC]

3. "Cut and Run" Rummy...nt

[enigma000]

4. A timetable would be for all troops

20,000 was a given after the elections. Some troop withdrawals were expected before the Nov. 2006 congressional elections. Even Zarqawi, if he is still alive, knew this.

I can't see a full withdrawal anytime soon - someone has to train those new Iraqi troops.

[Nimrod2005]

6. True, my point is, if the so called terrorists want to wait for us

to leave so that they can attack whoever we gifted rich-in-oil Iraq to...Why would they not take this as good news and kind of wait it out a bit to launch their attack/attempt to take over the country?

The argument of THEM/bad guys taking over thte ocuntry...etc. is Bush's argument of course.

Of course I am saying it all FRAUD busllshit...

[rfkrfk]

8. 'WE', does not include mercenaries ...

mercs and advisors, will be there for a long time.
why are people so excited here?

[soothsayer]

10. Yeah, and is this what the commanders on the ground have told

us they need? I thought we only listen to them.

[Nimrod2005]

13. The commanders in charge of the polls, YES.