I keep hearing that we "withdrew from Iraq" or that we are "withdrawing from Iraq"

[mdmc]

Does that mean we won? Mission accomplished!

So I googled "American withdrawal from Iraq" - seems we are still there but moving out..
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/world/middleeast/01iraq.html

BAGHDAD — Iraq celebrated the withdrawal of American troops from its cities with parades, fireworks and a national holiday on Tuesday as the prime minister trumpeted the country’s sovereignty from American occupation to a wary public.
The story goes on-
130000 Troops will remain
Iraqis worry that their gov will fail
but here is the bottom line-
Mr. Maliki’s effort to capitalize on Iraq’s latent anti-Americanism and to extol the abilities of his troops is a risky strategy. If it turns out that Iraqi troops cannot control the violence, Mr. Maliki will be vulnerable to criticism from rivals — not only if he has to ask the Americans to return but also if he fails to enforce security without them.
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So the "Mission" will be "Accomplished" when a stable, pro-west, unified Iraq is able to stand on its own, without America. I really don't see a "withdrawal" any time soon.
ps- for full disclosure - I opposed the war because I thought a stable pro-west unified Iraq was at least 50 years of blood and treasure away. If we are able to withdraw with the mission accomplished in 12 years, then Bush was brilliant for lying us into this war.

[TheWraith]

1. That article is over a year old.

There's already less than 85,000 troops in Iraq and dropping.

[stray cat]

2. You have to actually read the statements rather than picking out phrases

ie withdrew from the cities versus withdrew from the country. The truth and devil is in the details so one must pay attention and actually read entire sentences and their place within paragraphs.

[mdmc]

5. I guess what I am asking is

when will the "mission" be "accomplished"?

[zipplewrath]

3. Best case scenario

If everything works out the absolute best that we can hope for, what we'll have is a stable democracy which is friendly to Iran, slightly scary to Saudi Arabia, and fairly anti-Israel, and one of the largest oil producing nations in the world. Anything less than such perfection will be an unstable democracy which at any time could fall back into some form of autocratic rule, or another theocracy. And it will be a haven and recruiting ground for various violent factions of Islamic fundamentalists.

Not sure where "victory" is in any of that.

[sandnsea]

4. 50,000 by Aug 31 2010

Exactly as promised. Non-combat troops who will assist the Iraqis with insurgents, when asked. Complete withdrawal by next year.

I don't really care what you call it, it's happening.

It's kind of hard for Obama to accomplish anything when you just deny what is going on.

[mdmc]

6. This isn't about Obama at all..

All I am saying is if we are out by next year and the "mission" is "accomplished", then George Bush deserves the Noble for lying us into the war. A couple billion American tax dollars and a couple thousand American lives are a small price to pay for a stable, pro-west, unified, secular Iraq. If I had known it would be this easy I would have supported the war from the get go..

[sandnsea]

7. That's a crazy way of looking at it

When we get out of Iraq - we should thank George Bush for lying us there in the first place?

The only way for George Bush to remain a fiasco is for us to remain in Iraq?

[mdmc]

8. Iraq is a huge success if we are out by next year

and leave a stable pro west unified secular government in our wake..

Bush is a fiasco because war should be used as a last resort - when all else has failed (because war is so destructive and wasteful). Bush chose war as a solution of choice.
If it turns out that war is a great solution to problems - that you can take Bathe Iraq and turn it in to an ally of Israel, then war is the best tool to solve world problems..

[unhappycamper]

9. Recced back to zero. n/t

[blindpig]

10. Word games

define 'withdrawal'....

[bvar22]

11. Call me when the last American soldier leaves.

Until then, it is all "Hope and Hype".