NationStates Jolt Archive

I don't know if this thread has been started before(probably), but here it goes. I was wondering how people think the Iraq situation is going to end.

I myself believe that it will never end and we will never fully be "out" of Iraq.

Because the government that the Iraqi people are supposedly going to put in place will need protection from outside and inside forces. Now I don't mean this as a huge slight against the Iraqi defense troops we've trained, but I'm cynical as to whether they will be able to handle this on their own. I just see the Iraq situation as something that will always require some troop presence from the US if we intend on keeping their democratic government in place.

I'm interested to hear other viewpoints on this in case there are other things I don't know(just about this subject ;)),so please post something cohesive and uninsulting. Thank you!

Took us about 7 years in Japan if I remember correctly.

We'll be in Iraq a while, but not forever.

There are rumors that there's already a plan to start getting troops out of Iraq, starting in 2005. In order for that to work we need to train more Iraqi troops/police, and also give them better equipment. They are so outgunned it's pathetic. :(

There are rumors that there's already a plan to start getting troops out of Iraq, starting in 2005. In order for that to work we need to train more Iraqi troops/police, and also give them better equipment. They are so outgunned it's pathetic. :(
Some countries are going to draw their troops from Iraq right after the election. I think it's too soon. The most important thing now (imo) is to train and equipt Iraqis so that they could deal with the problems themselves.

Perhaps a good solution would be to plan a phased pullout over the course of several years, gradually stepping down US deployments as the Iraqi army is brought up to speed. Given the state of Iraq now, I doubt such a pullout could occur before late 2005 at the earliest.

Several semi-permenant bases being built in Iraq now seem to indicate that the pentagon is thinking in that direction already. Such bases would allow the US to maintain a foothold in the nation during the transitional period, yet do not provide a large or long-term drain in construction costs or maintinence.

Probably in time for the 2008 election.