No safe way for U.S. to leave Iraq, experts warn

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: CNN

Pulling U.S. forces from Iraq could trigger catastrophe, CNN analysts and other observers warn, affecting not just Iraq but its neighbors in the Middle East, with far-reaching global implications.

Sectarian violence could erupt on a scale never seen before in Iraq if coalition troops leave before Iraq's security forces are ready. Supporters of al Qaeda could develop an international hub of terror from which to threaten the West. And the likely civil war could draw countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran into a broader conflict.

President Bush vetoed a war spending bill Tuesday precisely because the Democrat-led Congress required the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn by October 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.

Bush said such a deadline would be irresponsible and both sides are now working on new proposals -- which may have no pullout dates.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html

---

:grr:

[babylonsister]

1. Did the wh pr machine write that? They might as well have... nt

[NJCher]

21. without a doubt

So many points rest on "image," and we all know who is verrrrry concerned about "image:"

A rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops would hurt America's image

United States is only a "paper tiger," CNN terrorism

adding that the image of the United States was important too.

...we do not want a U.S that is perceived as having been badly defeated....



Cher

[VegasWolf]

40. Deja Vu. No safe way to leave Vietnam, the Communists will take over the world. nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. And what, pray tell, is the safe way to stay?

:eyes:

[Martin Eden]

38. That's a very good question ...

... and should be asked every time someone asserts there is no safe way to leave.

[MAGICBULLET]

47. indeed

something tells me they'll just say, one way or another and without admitting any fault of their own, how we have to clean up the mess we made. oh yeah, and they always bring up how the world is better off without saddam.

[underpants]

45. More

More digging
More hole


Excellent response RUMMY

[TahitiNut]

3. Well, that gets the KSOTO award for the day, if not the year.

I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of us were saying the exact same thing nearly five years ago!

[Larkspur]

4. So, the alternative is to stay and bleed our military to death

Are these bozos proposing a military draft or just outsourcing all good paying jobs from America so our only choice is the military?

[rodeodance]

17. says we are the 'buffer" (lots of little comma buffers)

[hollowdweller]

5. These "CNN Analyists" Sound a bit like Bushco Shills to me

Also where't the other viewpoint in that article? It seems like any article favorable to Democrats must always have the other side consulted but stuff like this doesn't require balance.

[kysrsoze]

23. Exactly. No opposing viewpoint. Hasn't CNN learned enough from their past whoring?

These dumb fucks ALWAYS get it wrong and CNN (as well as the other news outlets) just hang on, hoping that at some point they might get it right. On their own goddamned homepage, their own poll indicated 2/3 of respondents want us the fuck out of there and asshole Bush was wrong to veto the funding bill. I guess it just doesn't matter to any of these people.

I'm sorry about all the profanity, but this article just really destroys my hope of sanity coming back to the mainstream news media. Screw them all.

[Telly Savalas]

24. At the very least they could take this opinion to its logical conclusion

and demand the resignation of Bush and Cheney.

In the little plans they drew up for the invasion, the scenario we face now didn't even pop up on the radar, and many of the decisions they've made have only exacerbated the situation. If the premise of this article is true, that we need to stay in Iraq, then it's clear that we need proper leadership to conduct the occupation. We sure aren't getting it now.

[rzemanfl]

6. Like one leaves their sect when they join the Iraqi Security

Forces? They will never be "ready"-just well armed for the Sunni v. Shia bloodbath.

[grytpype]

7. But we have to leave evenutually!

No one knows how long we can maintain this deployment, but it isn't much longer!

Congress had better be getting private briefings about that issue, because it sure isn't public information!

[ProudDad]

8. I don't know about you but I'm getting pretty sick and tired

of the unmitigated gall and monumental egotism of the U.S. of A. and its apologists.

What makes them think that the folks who've been taking care of business in their part of the world for the last 20,000 years need shit from us?

The U.S. is not, I repeat NOT the smartest, kindest, most efficient or aware country on Earth. They're NOT even CLOSE!

The U.S. should get its own house in order before telling ANYONE else how to run their country.

:grr: :grr: :nuke: :nuke:

[bdamomma]

33. we had no business being there, there are no words anymore

maybe our actions will speak louder.

[EFerrari]

42. What you said, Proud Dad. n/t

[jimshoes]

9. Well, there's always the

helicopter from the embassy rooftop route.

[tabasco]

10. I guess we better make it the 51st state then and stay forever.

The media whores are really going into overdrive, just as expected.

[Drum]

11. Wow, I guess that makes us the victors...

:mad:

[jimshoes]

12. And on the other hand

I suppose that is one way to gauge the measure of our success in the Iraq experiment is by how easily we can exit the place.

[rodeodance]

14. You are invited to send YOUR REACTION

....A rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops would hurt America's image and hand al Qaeda and other terror groups a propaganda victory that the United States is only a "paper tiger," CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen said. (Send us your reaction)

[rodeodance]

15. "CNN analyists" are saying this. u mmm

[Jacobin]

31. the same 'analysts' who I presume predicted a wonderful

flower throwing democratic Iraq after the invasion?

[Turbineguy]

13. And then there were all those experts

who told Bush not to attack in the first place because what has happened would happen.

[KansDem]

41. But they weren't "CNN analysts" so they don't count! (eom)

[MAGICBULLET]

48. really?

I'm seriously wondering if that even occurred, from the media I mean. I don't remember ever hearing the words "sectarian", "sunni", or "shiite" in the lead-up to the war. everything was just "WMD" and "imminent"

[Turbineguy]

61. Well there were those of us

who wrote our Congress Critters and came fairly close to predicting this outcome.

But then again, we are just reasonable, ordinary, persons.

[rodeodance]

16. Well, folks-this is really grab you -------"Oil prices would skyrocket," he said

Shepperd: Oil sector could suffer

Shepperd said Iraq's neighbors would be drawn into the all-out civil war likely if U.S. forces left too quickly. Iran could move in to further strengthen its influence in southern Iraq; Turkey likely would move against the Kurds in the north; and Saudi Arabia would be inclined to take action to protect Sunnis in western Iraq, he said.

The oil sector could also get hit hard, with Iran potentially mining the Persian Gulf and attempting to close the Straits of Hormuz, putting a stranglehold on oil flow, Shepperd says.

"Oil prices would skyrocket," he said -- perhaps soaring from current prices of about $60 a barrel to more than $100 a barrel, with consequent rises at the gas pump.

And that could bring further trouble, Shepperd added. "Saudi Arabia will not allow increasing Iranian dominance to endanger its regime and oil economy."

[cliss]

18. Why didn't they ask me? I woulda told them.

Cliss Future Diagnosis on US "back-out"

It's October, 2008
The last of the U.S. troops are pulling out. After a long and drawn out battle, the American Public finally won the decision of bringing home the troops. George Bush died of a heart attack from the fight, but that's another story.

Iraq: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

The Iraqi parliament disbanded after way too much strife. It was decided Iraq really isn't ready for an "American style" form of government.
The country has been re-claimed by the religious Mullahs.
Supreme Ayatollah Al-sistani is now the Revered Leader of Iraq. The Ayatollah is Iranian, and he's a Shi'a. NOW IRAN is the Supreme POWER in the region, exactly what the U.S. prayed would never happen*

Things are a lot more peaceful. The local population is Praying "Thank You" to Allah for finally kicking out the Americans. Life is getting back to normal. We are Poorer, but WISER.
= = = = = = = = = =
**This was Washington's Worst Nightmare, to have the Shi'as (from Iraq + Iran) in charge of 85% of the world's entire oil supply. Thanks to Einstein Bush, it happened.

[anotherdrew]

19. everyhting they're now saying, we said about the invasion. we were right then and they were wrong.

they are wrong now too. they're always wrong.

[MGD]

20. Sure there is, pack up and get the fuck out. It's far safer than staying. Cheaper too.

"Sectarian violence could erupt on a scale never seen before in Iraq if coalition troops leave before Iraq's security forces are ready."
Good.

"Supporters of al Qaeda could develop an international hub of terror from which to threaten the West."
Fine. Let them have Iraq. When it becomes clear that they are in control, we can do what we do best, indiscriminantly bomb the ever living shit out of the whole country.

"And the likely civil war could draw countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran into a broader conflict."
Excellent. This is a pro of leaving, not a con.

"Pulling U.S. forces from Iraq could trigger catastrophe"
as opposed to leaving US troops in place which has already triggered a catastrophe for both Iraq and America.

[aquart]

22. Define "catastrophe."

Because my definition puts us right in the middle of one. If the MidEast realigns will there be more or less corpses than the way we're handling things now? Answer: It does not matter. Nothing we do will make things better.

If the MidEast realigns WHO GIVES A FUCK? Because they still have to sell the oil.

And to head off any crap about it being a danger to Israel, those nations are always a danger to Israel, and it's better for Israel if they're busy fighting each other. They actually NEED Israel as a rallying point.

Time to go home and build houses for our veterans.

[kysrsoze]

25. I agree with you on that - of course the longer we stay, the more likely they are to

sell the oil to others who are less belligerent and choose not to occupy foreign lands.

[aquart]

50. Or refuse us because the check bounces.

We are so deep in debt it will take eons to crawl out.

[alfredo]

26. Straight from Karl Rove's office.

[EFerrari]

46. I'm going to start doing stat analysis on the text of these faxes.

Because they are as transparent as water.

Geezus.

[alfredo]

52. Oh sure. I'd love to have access to the daily talking points to see

how the media uses them.

[EFerrari]

56. I think we do have access to them. We can reconstruct them

from the footprints. Or, from the bumps on our skulls. :)

[alfredo]

57. Maybe we can watch Fux news.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

27. I thought it was a catastrophe already?

that's what you get for stirring up hornets nests.

Once the US leaves Iraq they will breathe a sigh of relief.

[bdamomma]

34. that's if they have any breath left.

[daleo]

28. If the alternatives are really that bad

Shouldn't Bush be impeached, for creating such a hopeless dilemma?

[LynnTheDem]

29. So we stay and die for decades. What a HUGE WIN...

for Osama bin Laden.

And just as so many experts around the world warned was exactly what would happen.

[bdamomma]

35. yup, Osama is just sitting and watching and seeing the US

disintegrates right before his eyes, thanks to George, who is our homegrown terrorist.

[The2ndWheel]

30. Entropy, and the fight against it, isn't easy

Whether it's Iraq, the climate, or our entire way of life.

[donkeyotay]

32. No shit. Where were CNN's experts on this before we got into this quagmire?

Lots of "coulds". But the Iraq war will only be a catastrophe IF we leave. What will it be if we stay? CNN wants nothing more than for the US to exhaust itself making over the ME. It's enough to make you want to say to the GOP, "Fine. Go ahead. Let's do it your way." If people weren't dying it would be so much easier to let the warmongers continue their leadership.

[Bacchus39]

49. yep, either way its a catostrophe

might as well leave then.

[damntexdem]

36. It's true, too! Of course, it's much more unsafe for U.S. forces to remain in Iraq.

Iraq became unsafe for the U.S. in March 2003, and again in May 2003. It's been all downhill from there.

[dflprincess]

37. I've said this before - if we pull out now

all of Southeast Asia will fall to the Communists!

It doesn't matter how long we stay, 10 days or 10 years as soon as we leave, sectarian violence will erupt.

[Spearman87]

39. The Violence part seems 100% True to me. But pick your poison

I'm doubtful that Iraqi troops will EVER be any more ready to take over than they are now. They simply are not loyal to the national flag, but to their own sects and spiritual leaders. It's quitely likely there will be mass slaugher when we leave. But I don't see either the US people or the UN member nations having the will to keep troops there in perpetuity to stop it from happening.

[KansDem]

43. Google "CNN analysts" and find over 12,000 links...

With all that "analyzing," you'd think CNN would get something right.

[depakid]

44. Can you spell quagmire?

Props to CNN for their incessant war mongering and promotion of the neocon agenda.

Nice job.

[ckramer]

51. Don't forget this helicopter and ships!

[GeorgeGist]

53. CNN has experts?

:rofl:

[GeorgeGist]

54. CNN has experts?

:rofl:

[Cant trust em]

55. As Elvis Presley would say...

It's now or never, tomorrow will be too late. My love (or the American people) won't wait.

If we're not going to leave now, then when? With the security forces it's always tomorrow, six weeks, six months, next year.

[ProudDad]

58. We should pull out the troops and the mercenaries

IMMEDIATELY.

Then, we still owe the Iraqi people -- BIG TIME.

I vote we slash the fucking Dept. of War budget by 3/4, return 1/4 of the savings to the middle-class and lower taxpayers (remove the bush tax cuts from the rich), 1/4 to be used for the social programs cut by * and for conservation and REALLY CLEAN energy research (NOT "clean coal" or Ethanol or nuclear) and give the other 1/4 to IRAQ via a peacekeeping, reconciliation, rebuilding team running under the auspices of the U.N. to help the Iraqi people rebuild their own country or countries any way they see fit.

Of course, this would mean we'd have to withdraw the damn troops from the 150 countries we've got them garrisoned in and give them real jobs in the new Alternative Energy Industry.

I'll bet the Iraqi peoples could do a hell of a lot better job than bush/cheney/rummy/wolfie, etc.

[gulliver]

59. We still don't spin this right.

Bush got us into a mess we can't get out of. No matter what we do, it will end up being a catastrophe. What reason is there to believe that we will ever be able to leave without a catastrophe immediately afterward? Say there are zero incidents for six months. We leave. Catastrophe immediately.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

60. What a biased article!

Fuck CNN and their Republican apologists!!

[sampsonblk]

62. These are the reason not to GO IN!

Where were they when this actually needed to be said???