Increased Strife Is Foreseen in Iraq if U.S. Troops Leave

[cal04]

There is one matter on which American military commanders, many Iraqis and some of the Bush administration’s staunchest Congressional critics agree: if the United States withdrew its forces from Baghdad’s streets this fall, the murder and mayhem would increase.

But that is where the agreement ends. The wrangling in Washington over war financing, still fierce despite the Democrats’ decision to forgo for now withdrawal deadlines, has obscured a more fundamental debate over what Iraq’s future might look like without American troops.

(snip)
To address the issue, The New York Times interviewed more than 40 Iraqi politicians and citizens and consulted recent surveys of public opinion in Iraq. The views of a broad range of senior military officials, American intelligence experts, politicians and independent analysts who have recently returned from Iraq were also solicited.

The somewhat surprising verdict of most Iraqis was clear. For all their distaste for the American occupation, many of them fear that a pullback any time soon would lead to a violent chain reaction that would jeopardize the fitful attempts at political dialogue and risk the collapse of the Iraqi government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/world/middleeast/27withdraw.html?hp

[aquart]

1. Uh huh. So? NOT a good reason to stay.

In fact, it's the crappiest one of all. Nothing is holding up that government except US??? Then it needs to fall.

[Fridays Child]

2. Text of email from Michael Gordon and Alissa Rubin to Karl Rove...

When can we pick up our checks?

[cal04]

4. well said. I tried to think of a comment but couldn't

how many ways are they going to say until they realize we're not buying it

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. And it's so good now, right?

[seemslikeadream]

5. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere

the battle is fought.





http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many
calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
The general who loses a battle makes but few
calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations
lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat:
how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention
to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

[papau]

6. Increased Strife Is Foreseen in Iraq if U.S. Troops don't Leave - n/t

n/t

[Terri S]

7. would this be a good place to post some Judith Miller pieces? nt