Have we really left Iraq? The US embassy in Baghdad is as big as Vatican City...

[Gravitycollapse]

The US embassy in Baghdad is 4.4 million square feet. The entire complex is 104 acres and is made up of 21 buildings It is populated by 15,000 individuals.



Is it really reasonable to claim that we no longer occupy a country when we own and operate a compound the size of a small city within its borders? I have my doubts.

[hrmjustin]

1. The Embassy is large so it can be protected from attack.

[Gravitycollapse]

3. No, that's what the international zone, formerly the green zone, is for.

The embassy complex is in the middle of that protected zone. The zone was used to protect against rocket and mortar attacks.

In actuality, the further out into the international zone the complex expands, the closer we make its borders to the edge of the protective barrier.

[hrmjustin]

4. Thanks for the correction. It is a big Embassy but I am sure there are reasons for it.

I saw something on CNN today that if we attack Syria that Iran might attack our Embassy in Iraq. They might have a small army in the Embassy.

[Gravitycollapse]

5. The reason for it is US imperialism. What other reason could there possibly be?

Hence, the point of my OP is to argue that we still occupy Iraq.

[hrmjustin]

6. Well an Embassy is our territory by law so it is not occupying Iraq.

But I understand your point.

[Gravitycollapse]

7. So I assume you don't believe Israel is occupying Jordan or Syria?

Since East Jerusalem and Golan Heights are claimed as Israeli territory by Israel.

[hrmjustin]

8. That is a different issue,

[Gravitycollapse]

9. Hmmm...no, not really. Both claims were made by invasion and theft.

The political circumstance may be different, but the fact that an occupation exists is similar.

[hrmjustin]

10. An embassy is not theft. They gave us the right to have an embassy.

[Gravitycollapse]

13. You think we really gave them the option to not allow a US embassy?

[hrmjustin]

14. They can expel us any moment they want.

It is true that they were not in a position to say no but they can say no now. Besides it is just an Embassy. What is the big deal.

[Gravitycollapse]

15. No one is ever in a position to expel the United States. And that is especially true for Iraq.

We've built them up and we can destroy them. There never was any option for Iraqis to say no just like there was no option for Iraqis to refuse the invasion. We occupy their territory regardless of their consent. And we get away with it by forcing them to give us consent. Which isn't exactly the true manifestation of the word if you really think about it.

[hrmjustin]

16. Look it is an Embassy. We are not occupying them anymore!

[Gravitycollapse]

17. And the drunk hits his girlfriend because he loves her too much.

[hrmjustin]

18. You do understand by the law we are no longer an occupying force?

[Gravitycollapse]

19. Like I said, the boyfriend just loves the poor girl too much.

[hrmjustin]

20. Ok well we disagree on this.

[Hydra]

2. That's not the only evidence

There's a DoD site someone here linked to once that shows which battle groups are deployed where. At the time, there were something just shy of 50k troops deployed in Iraq.

I don't think we ever left...we may have suspended active operations, but we never give up what we steal.

[CPX7700]

11. Duh

We never "leave" anywhere. There are huge permanent US military bases all over the world.

[struggle4progress]

12. Peak employment was mostly private contractors. The State Dept announced in 2012

a planned reduction of at least 50%. Employment in January was around 11.5K with further reduction to about 5.5K anticipated by the start of 2014