20,000 troops to stay in Iraq

Worlds Spanner · Post by **Worlds Spanner** » 2004-04-15 10:03pm

This may have come up inside of a thread, but I don't see any obvious titles.

I don't want to debate the descision, it's clearly necessary.

I don't want to discuss "break promises," it's clearly neccessary.

I want to ask one question. Now that the government has effectively admitted that Iraq is a mess, did Bush NOT KNOW that this was going to happen, even when many people said it would? If so he is blind and too stupid to listen to good advice, and he simply does not deserve to lead this country. Or did Bush KNOW that this was going to happen? If so, he was bullshitting the American People, and simply does not deserve to lead this country for straight up dishonesty.

Either way, I'm mighty pissed.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-04-15 10:55pm

I think that Bush truly believed that the US would be greeted with open arms. That is after all what the Iraqi exiles were preaching and it's what he wanted to hear. So I guess he's blind to reality and should lose the election because of it.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-04-15 11:01pm

Cpl Kendall wrote:I think that Bush truly believed that the US would be greeted with open arms. That is after all what the Iraqi exiles were preaching and it's what he wanted to hear. So I guess he's blind to reality and should lose the election because of it.

But most civilians did greet them with open arms initially...until Bush proved he didn't have any plan for the occupation and had to break a shitload of promises to the Iraqi people as a result...

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-04-15 11:08pm

What I don't understand is why they disbanded the Iraqi army. They could have placed them under US control and used them to help maintain order. It would have kept large numbers of the young men employed, and would provide a cash flow into the Iraqi economy.

18-Till-I-Die · Post by **18-Till-I-Die** » 2004-04-15 11:09pm

I dont knwo what to think anymore. It could be either answer. All i know is i'm voting Kerry, even if he does loose, just to say i fought every inch of the way.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-04-15 11:16pm

I dont knwo what to think anymore. It could be either answer.

Personally, I think Bush's performance on the Iraq occupation can be attributed to plain, old fashioned, shortsightedness (nothing new at all). I doubt he knew this mess would happen and allowed it anyway, because even Bush would know that such a mess would make him look very bad and jeprodize his chances of getting re-elected...

18-Till-I-Die · Post by **18-Till-I-Die** » 2004-04-15 11:28pm

Ma Deuce wrote:
I dont knwo what to think anymore. It could be either answer.
Personally, I think Bush's performance on the Iraq occupation can be attributed to plain, old fashioned, shortsightedness (nothing new at all). I doubt he knew this mess would happen and allowed it anyway, because even Bush would know that such a mess would make him look very bad and jeprodize his chances of getting re-elected...

Yeah, you're most likely right. Shortsightestness has been fatal for far greater men than Bush. He probably just truly beleived that he'd be welcomed with open arms by people he was occupying with or without a plan.

Worlds Spanner · Post by **Worlds Spanner** » 2004-04-15 11:33pm

But we TOLD HIM SO!!!!

Arrrrggh!

*Frustration.*

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-04-15 11:38pm

18-Till-I-Die wrote: Yeah, you're most likely right. Shortsightestness has been fatal for far greater men than Bush. He probably just truly beleived that he'd be welcomed with open arms by people he was occupying with or without a plan.

But how shortsighted can you be? There had to be people close to him (I'm thinking Colin Powell) that thought there would be opposition. And I find it hard to believe that the military didn't have a plan in place for the occupation, though they don't seem to have enough manpower to deal with the current rebellion.

As for rebuilding Iraq, do they currently have a plan or are they planning it as they go? From what I understand, most Iraqi's don't even have electricity or access to proper medical care.

Worlds Spanner · Post by **Worlds Spanner** » 2004-04-15 11:52pm

And let me throw in, preemptively, that I don't think it matters that the Clinton administration cut back the armed forces. Bush knew the armed forces were cut back before he overcommitted them!

Dargos · Post by **Dargos** » 2004-04-16 01:44am

Worlds Spanner wrote: Either way, I'm mighty pissed.

Your pissed? How about the OVER 20,000 troops who have to stay there an extra 90 days. Fully 1/4 of the 20,000 are Reserve and National Guard.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-16 02:11am

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-04-16 02:29am

You forgot to pepper the quote with Bush's usual stuttering mess of "Uh"s and "Um"s.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2004-04-16 10:10am

Durandal wrote:You forgot to pepper the quote with Bush's usual stuttering mess of "Uh"s and "Um"s.

Come on, that's obviously the edited down version, otherwise the pic would be far too small to hold it all.

Korvan · Post by **Korvan** » 2004-04-16 01:42pm

Ma Deuce wrote:
Cpl Kendall wrote:I think that Bush truly believed that the US would be greeted with open arms. That is after all what the Iraqi exiles were preaching and it's what he wanted to hear. So I guess he's blind to reality and should lose the election because of it.
But most civilians did greet them with open arms initially...until Bush proved he didn't have any plan for the occupation and had to break a shitload of promises to the Iraqi people as a result...

It's just good policy to greet the victor of a conflict with open arms. Had Saddam pulled off a miracle and managed to drive off the armericans, they you'd see people dancing in the streets and burning american flags.

Being greeted with open arms is a good way to get a knife in the back.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2004-04-17 03:48am

Keevan_Colton wrote:
Durandal wrote:You forgot to pepper the quote with Bush's usual stuttering mess of "Uh"s and "Um"s.
Come on, that's obviously the edited down version, otherwise the pic would be far too small to hold it all.

Straight from the teleprompter

Isn't this kind of error what we're supposed to oust our leaders for? But I've been watching Fox News (this is bad comedy) and *they* insist most Americans are supporting the whole thing. And they always use the word 'terrorist'

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