NationStates Jolt Archive

U.S.-led troops in Iraq part of problem-UK's Straw
02 Aug 2005 00:42:06 GMT

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The presence of British and U.S. troops in Iraq is fuelling the Sunni-led insurgency which has killed hundreds of people, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in comments published on Tuesday.

In an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Straw said it was crucial Iraq's draft constitution was ready by a mid-August deadline to pave the way for a troop withdrawal.

"Because -- unlike in Afghanistan -- although we are part of the security solution there, we are also part of the problem."

--Reuters

Ah, it's a screw up either way! If we leave, Iraq is fucked and until we leave Iraq is fucked... :p

Yeah that was kinda concluded. But we can't just LEAVE Iraq and let them get over the shock of our void in a week.

Yeah that was kinda concluded. But we can't just LEAVE Iraq and let them get over the shock of our void in a week.

I totally agree. Imagine living with cancer for a few years and then waking up and having to deal with the shock that it's gone.

We stay and get the job done. That's all I will say.

But we can't just LEAVE Iraq and let them get over the shock of our void in a week.

Why not? There wasn't some gentle process when they first went in, was there?

We stay and get the job done. That's all I will say.

I hope so.

We stay and get the job done. That's all I will say.

The job being what, exactly? Finding WMDs?

The job being what, exactly? Finding WMDs?

Perhaps one of the worst (and most horrid) strawmans I have heard of yet... I meant until they get their government stable and have security forces. If you want to attack people, go elsewhere. I was just saying that we should stay until the job gets done.

I can't stand horrible anti-war people.

The job being what, exactly? Finding WMDs?Stop being the only ones capable of protecting some of the Iraqi people from the insurgents we freed.

We stay and get the job done. That's all I will say.
True. They started this mess, so they ought to finish.

Yeah that was kinda concluded. But we can't just LEAVE Iraq and let them get over the shock of our void in a week.


The way to avoid that is to pull out gradually. The best solution would be to announce that the troops are going to be withdrawn in stages over, say, a year or 18 months. That would give everybody time to get adjusted and also give the insurgents much less excuse for continuing their "resistance".

The way to avoid that is to pull out gradually. The best solution would be to announce that the troops are going to be withdrawn in stages over, say, a year or 18 months. That would give everybody time to get adjusted and also give the insurgents much less excuse for continuing their "resistance".

That sounds appropriate and is pretty much going to be done as I heard by next year troop levels will be reduced to 60,000 and so forth.

Stop being the only ones capable of protecting some of the Iraqi people from the insurgents we freed.

:D

Surely the best thing I've seen in a while.

Should we leave? Yes

Is it wise? I don't think so now we are in we have to do the job properly. We have to sort out this big ugly mess, we can't leave these people in such a shitty situation which we created.

Im still in favor of a total pull-out. They are Iraqi's, not americans. We don't need to baby-sit them. If they truely want democracy and all that jazz, they can fight for it themselves, against the insurgency.

The way to avoid that is to pull out gradually. The best solution would be to announce that the troops are going to be withdrawn in stages over, say, a year or 18 months. That would give everybody time to get adjusted and also give the insurgents much less excuse for continuing their "resistance".

Yeah, because then the insurgents would pool their resources and just wait for the alliance forces to be gone so they can attack the new Iraqi government and people without interference... [/sarcasm]

Perhaps it would be best if we stay until the Iraqi government is up and running before we tell the enemy anything about our plans...

:D

Surely the best thing I've seen in a while.

Should we leave? Yes

Is it wise? I don't think so now we are in we have to do the job properly. We have to sort out this big ugly mess, we can't leave these people in such a shitty situation which we created.Heck, I might be Green on most issues, but I'm smart enough to see that leaving Iraq now will only cause more problems.

Heck, I might be Green on most issues, but I'm smart enough to see that leaving Iraq now will only cause more problems.

Did you read my post or just the first two lines...I'll write again, should we leave Iraq, yes i think we should but I don't think it's wise for Iraq. We have to sort the mess out.

I would love Britain not to be in Iraq, in fact I would love america to be in it up to their eye balls to to show the right wingers yet again that a few guys with pick up trucks and motors can blow away that all American can do attitude.

I totally agree. Imagine living with cancer for a few years and then waking up and having to deal with the shock that it's gone.


:rolleyes:

U.S.-led troops in Iraq part of problem-UK's Straw
02 Aug 2005 00:42:06 GMT

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The presence of British and U.S. troops in Iraq is fuelling the Sunni-led insurgency which has killed hundreds of people, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in comments published on Tuesday.

In an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Straw said it was crucial Iraq's draft constitution was ready by a mid-August deadline to pave the way for a troop withdrawal.

"Because -- unlike in Afghanistan -- although we are part of the security solution there, we are also part of the problem."

--Reuters

You'd think anyone with a brain would have figured that out a long time ago... I've put that concept out on various forums countless times, and been told that killing Terrorists is the only way to fight Terror. The idea that shooting people and occupying sovereign nations for no apparent reason might cause people to become terrorists is completly foreign to Bush supporters.

Regardless of when and how we pull out, its gonna be followed by anarchy and chaos with some extreme whack anti-western group probably taking charge of things at the end. May as well get it over with sooner rather than later.

Im still in favor of a total pull-out. They are Iraqi's, not americans. We don't need to baby-sit them. If they truely want democracy and all that jazz, they can fight for it themselves, against the insurgency.

If they were capable, then they would have done so against Saddam. But they weren't, and they didn't.

I agree, they US troops should be gradually removed. But the last thing this war needs is one more major screwup, such as "a week after we left the nation, a new despot came to power who began executing all who opposed his authority..."

If you are for the war, then you believe that US troops should be there. If you aren't for it and think the war has done a lot of things incorrectly, how smart would it be to want them to leave on a whim and risk the collapse of a country we have spent so much time, money, and lives on saving?

We should never have gone in. We caused this mess, it was obvious it was going to happen like this, that's why I counciled against the war. Now that we are there, we cannot leave until we put right what was made wrong.

That's called responsibility. The quesiton is, how much and what could we be doing better when we are in Iraq to ease the transition?

I heard an interesting factoid the other day, before the was, the assessment to "fix" Iraq made by the world bank placed the damages at 60 billion dollars in infrastructure and development. To date the US has allocated (not spent) 22 billion dollars, and the rest of the world has provided just under 2 billion.

If these numbers are a) reasonably true and b) any indication of how much time we'd need to spend there to get the job done...we're in trouble.

The UK should pull out and leave the US in the hole their dim-witted administration dug for them.

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but they were so gung-ho, trigger happy and oil crazed they waged an illegal war. Ok so Blair followed like a love-sick puppy, but Bush is to blame.

Damn them all to Hell!

The UK should pull out and leave the US in the hole their dim-witted administration dug for them.

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but they were so gung-ho, trigger happy and oil crazed they waged an illegal war. Ok so Blair followed like a love-sick puppy, but Bush is to blame.

Damn them all to Hell!
Didn't Straw mention that the British troops caused as much of a problem?

I think we need to realize that there are many, many more Iraqis that welcome the Coalition presence that there are that resent it. We just don't see that from the media because it would make the efforts in Iraq look successful.

Didn't Straw mention that the British troops caused as much of a problem?
Yes, but the OCCUPATION of Iraq is a Bushite Idea...Blair is only trying to Please the US...

You cannot really say "the UK is Trying to please the US"...cos most UK citizens have always been against this Bushite War...

That why many British people picture Blair as the Lap Dog of GW

We stay and get the job done. That's all I will say.

You make this statement and then you keep submitting posts... must be a Republican.

If they were capable, then they would have done so against Saddam. But they weren't, and they didn't.

I agree, they US troops should be gradually removed. But the last thing this war needs is one more major screwup, such as "a week after we left the nation, a new despot came to power who began executing all who opposed his authority..."

If you are for the war, then you believe that US troops should be there. If you aren't for it and think the war has done a lot of things incorrectly, how smart would it be to want them to leave on a whim and risk the collapse of a country we have spent so much time, money, and lives on saving?

So the best way to save lives is drop bombs on a country and create a state of anarchy? Must be one of those "it's so crazy it just might work" solutions.

Yes, but the OCCUPATION of Iraq is a Bushite Idea...Blair is only trying to Please the US...

Guess what? Occupation over!! :D

U.S.-led troops in Iraq part of problem-UK's Straw
02 Aug 2005 00:42:06 GMT

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The presence of British and U.S. troops in Iraq is fuelling the Sunni-led insurgency which has killed hundreds of people, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in comments published on Tuesday.

In an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Straw said it was crucial Iraq's draft constitution was ready by a mid-August deadline to pave the way for a troop withdrawal.

"Because -- unlike in Afghanistan -- although we are part of the security solution there, we are also part of the problem."

--ReutersNothing I haven't known for quite some time.