Obama Plans to End Combat Mission in Iraq by August 2010

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama heads to one of the nation’s most storied military bases Friday morning to unveil plans to pull most troops out of Iraq and he has support from an unlikely quarter — Senator John McCain, the Republican he beat in last year’s election.

Mr. McCain and other Republicans emerged from a meeting with Mr. Obama at the White House on Thursday evening reassured that the president’s withdrawal plan is responsible and reasonable. After securing assurances from Mr. Obama that he would reconsider his plans if violence increases, Mr. McCain and the Republicans expressed cautious support.

The convergence of Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain on Iraq would have seemed highly improbable just a few months ago, when they clashed sharply on the future of the American mission there. Mr. McCain accused Mr. Obama of being naïve and opposed his withdrawal plans. At one point, Mr. McCain said Mr. Obama “would rather lose a war than lose a campaign.”

Even since the inauguration, Mr. McCain, who represents Arizona, has remained a tough opponent of Mr. Obama, at least on economic matters. But the two have come to a common ground of sorts on Iraq, the issue that once defined their rivalry.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/washington/28troops.html

[flobee1]

1. as long as he doesn't land a plane on a carrier

and announce "mission accomplished"

[ixion]

2. yeah, because six years isn't quite enough death and destruction

let's just hang around for another year or so. I'm sure the Iraqis who will be killed during that time will understand that it's for their own liberation. :sarcasm:

[acmavm]

3. So will the families of any American's who die between now and

then.

[shadowknows69]

4. If you need to have 50K troops in a country to "Guard your interests"

IE. Piplines, the embassy, corporate bloodsucking profiteers, being Malakai/Neo-Saddam's personal bodyguards, etc. etc. Then you shouldn't be there at all.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

5. I've thought a lot about this... when the troops come home... what will they do?

The job market is flat. BTW: I know they will not all come home.

Also, what about all those people joining the military for a paycheck? Are the recruiters going to close their doors?

[crankmob]

7. future cops w/ "checkpoint" experience.

[Dover]

6. ...and the troops will be reassigned to Afghanistan....because the U.S.

just doesn't know how to shut down its war machine.