Obama has a plan of leaving behind about 50,000 troops in Iraq and pulling out about 90,000 to start coming home by August of 2010. This seems promising and necessary but something doesn't make sense to me.
I am part of the US Coast Guard Reserves in a deployable unit that will be working security in the Middle East with the Army. During one of my training sessions with the Army (this was well before the election), an Army Staff Sergeant was telling us that even if we were to just stop the war all together it would take at least three years to get everyone out. Reason being is because we would have to bring home everything that we brought there. This isn't just troops, it's the tanks, weapons, tents, gymnasiums, and whatever else we brought over there when we started this "war on terrorism." A little off topic with this, but you can't just declare a war on a criminal act. Haven't we learned from the war on drugs?
There is a lot of criticism with the 50,000 troops Obama wants to leave there but to me it is justified. They have to leave people there to man the bases there and provide security on all of their equipment. Not to mention that we have to train the Iraqi forces as well. I like the ideas Obama is coming up with, I am just hoping that it all works out.
The NY Times reported that the leftover 50,000 troops would focus on training Iraqi security forces, hunting down terrorists, and protecting American institutions. I agree with the 1st and 3rd missions but hunting down terrorists is ridiculous. If we can find the big guys in the terrorist organizations, so be it. But what happens when we knock out a leader? The guy under him gets an immediate promotion! When will we learn?? It's a waste of money. Remember Pablo Escobar? When he was shot and killed? Did it stop cocaine from coming into America?? Hell no. We can only take up measures to prevent it from coming into our shores. So I agree with the Homeland Security idea but going out fishing for terrorists is a waste of our troops' lives, our Country's money, and simply a waste of time.
3 comments:
Ummmmmmmm....how long did it take 500,000 troops to leave Iraq after desert storm???? Not 3 years!!!! It is ignorant to believe whatever military superiors propagate. Obama made promises about Iraq and too justify leaving our troops in such a tumultuous situation is reprehensible. Obama should stick to his word and pull out entirely. Maybe now he understands the profitability of oil in Iraq and is selling out. Full troop withdrawal is not only logical but necessary to fulfill campaign promises. If Obama was just full of rhetoric his campaign was meaningless. Full troop withdrawal is the basis of Obamas campaign to ignore is unjust.
There is definitely a sense of turmoil that has fostered the debate of whether completely pulling all of our troops out or leaving the insurance of 50,000 troops to continue with necessary day to day tasks. I agree that we will not be able to pull all services out overnight and that it will take time for this to completely go through. I feel Obama is trying to keep both sides of this debate content or he is trying to keep a false sense of authority overseas. Personally, I think we will continue to a have a US presence overseas for some time to come but hopefully that will decrease and in time public relations will increase in order to sustain some type of humanity in which we desperately need.
I dont knwo about being ignorant about this situation. Do you work for the military? Probably not. I have experience with the military and have been told this information I provided. So dont tell me I am ignorant.
Post a Comment