Some Iraqi officials prefer troops stay out of towns

[Army]

This is a new opinion emerging among local leaders in Iraq over the last several weeks. They want us to stay here, but stay on our bases and let the Iraqi military and Iraqi police handle things outside the wire. Sounds great to me, means I'd be inside the wire for the last four months.

What do you guys think? Promise I'll stay out of this one and just read the response. :evilgrin:

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=34622

[qazplm]

1. I think it means the Iraqis

just want us around as an insurance policy and sorry but if thats all we are, then we need to leave.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. You'll have a better chance of staying in one piece, reducing some

of the propellant for the insurgency, possibly have less of a chance of shooting the wrong persons, and perhaps save some bullets for a rainy day. Wishing you well and a safe journey home. Sorry your commander in chief sent you there... truly.

[Inland]

5. But if stayin g on the bases serves all those good purposes,

then withdrawal would too. We have them there, but there is nothing they can do to help the situation without worsening the situation, ie, two steps forward and two steps back.

But the commanders know that if they simply follow their own logic and tell Bush it's time to come home, they will be fired. Soldiers in Iraq make it look like Bush is doing something and hasn't failed. That's their strategic purpose today.

[Avalux]

3. Part of the overall plan.

We were never supposed to leave Iraq and we never will; our military started building bases for permanent force placement when we first went in. PNAC laid it all out years ago.

As far as the opinions of local leaders - they'll agree to anything if they're given enough cash.

[HereSince1628]

4. It's the nature of occupations that go bad...

Look for less patrolling and a lot more conventional big engagements that involve at least battalions rather than a squad in a couple of humvees.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

6. Not just in Iraq

There's a curfew doing on in the Pacific as well, due to drunk and disorderly behavior.

In Iraq, doesn't it have more to do with the civil war going on, and the fact that the US, whether troops or contractors (mostly contractors), have done nothing to win hearts and minds?

[ClintonTyree]

7. Good for you.......

not as good as if you were coming home but it IS TIME for the Iraqi's to start taking control.

Best of luck to you, stay safe. That's an order Mr.! :patriot:

[maddezmom]

8. Army, please edit you headline

as per DU rules: When posting articles, always use the published title of the article as the title of the discussion thread.

"Some Iraqi officials prefer troops stay out of towns"

thanks in advance
:)

[BrotherBuzz]

9. Over-the-horizon or under the radar - the results are the same

Sounds like they are in agreement with Murtha's plan. Heck, even Rummy should be in agreement - "Oh, come on. People are fungible. You can have them here or there."

[tularetom]

10. If staying on bases makes our people safer

then I'm all for it. By extension, getting the hell out of Iraq completely right fuckin now would make them even safer. And just how safe are the bases? Is it a good idea to concentrate so many of our troops in one place where they could be easy prey for suicide bombers or other nut cases?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

12. Good point.

Concentrated "inside the wire" makes a target-rich environment for mortars, rockets and machine guns.

That said, I have no alternative, but if has come to this, then it might be time for a lot of people to come home.

[Harper_is_Bush]

11. Sounds like a troop withdrawl.

If the US stays on base, then they're basically withdrawing. Sounds like Murtha is right and it's playing out.

[0007]

13. Bring the troops home now.

[Army]

14. Promised To Stay Out

But I've been known to lie.

I'd agree that it's about time for this "democracy" to stand on it's own. That's a good point that putting everyone on base makes for convenient targets. Mortars still land on this base daily.

[unhappycamper]

17. Been there, done that.

About 35 years ago. Keep your head down, Brother.

[bemildred]

15. Seems smarter than driving back and forth dodging bombs.

But it also raises the question why not just let them stay on their bases here in the good old USA?

[DELUSIONAL]

16. Civil War is happening in Iraq --

and everyone is the target -- especially the US military -- that's how I see the news.

[wookie294]

18. This is good news

I think this is part of Bush's phased withdrawal from Iraq which I believe began last year.

Last year, Rumsfeld said the fictional character "Zarqawi" was pretty much defeated. I saw the comment being part of the phased withdrawal (surrender). The Bush administration is starting to set us up for our "victory" in Iraq, just like they set us up for the invasion.

Bush got us into Iraq based on a lie. He will get us OUT of Iraq based on a lie. Fine with me. Just get the fuck out NOW.