Three cheers for Spain Poland&Honduras for Saying no to occupation Thread

[corporatewhore]

:party: :party: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :yourock: :yourock:

[Tomas]

1. Poland?

Poland? Are they pulling out too?

[corporatewhore]

2. well later on

but still glad to know they will get there troops home

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/200...3HM1SCALLY.html

[Tomas]

4. Heh

Well eventually, even Americans will leave. Wonder what happened to others in Spanish brigade (Ultra Plus, or something). Honduras is out, how about others?

By the way, that link doesn't work.

[papau]

9. Thailand says out of here if any casualty - so force protection for

all their troops required -

When pay for them - then we guard them.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi Tomas!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[0007]

3. That good!

[BostonTeaParty04]

5. I think it's bitter sweet....

On one hand, the desintegration of the pretend 'coalition' is politically advantageous to us.

On the other... our soldiers are being abandoned.

Then again, how many friggin spaniards, poles or hondurans (or for that matter... brits) EVER patrolled the streets of Baghdad giving our troops backup? They were all tucked away in what was the peaceful south.... or sitting in Kuwait 'doing back up work' and no doubt making a few trips to the luxury malls. They were frauds anyways....

So, I guess it is a positive thing to out bush on his unilateral miserable failure!

[July]

10. Why the slam on the foreign troops?

Their location was almost certainly determined by US, so if they weren't "giving our troops backup" in Baghdad, that was a choice we probably made.

Yesterday's NY Times included an article in which there was mention of American troops' appreciation of the professionalism of the Spanish troops. Don't know anything about the Poles or Hondurans, but it's quite a slam to call them "frauds." Some of those "frauds" have even been killed in Iraq. Thanks to our "fraud" in the White House.

[RebelOne]

6. Three cheers. Hip! Hip! Hooray!!

I hope other countries follow suit.

[eileen from OH]

7. Geez. . .

Seems to me the best thing that could happen would be getting MORE help. I thought that internationalizing the force over there was the idea - from Dean, Clark, and everyone down the line. Seems to me that having other countries pull out is a really big stumbling block to that - makes it all the harder and puts an even more American face on the troops.

Politics or no, anything that puts our guys/gals even more at risk over there is a bad thing in my book. I take absolutely no pleasure in being "right" if "right" leads to the death of more of our people. And for every soldier from another country that leaves, the danger to our people rises. Somehow I don't think the families of our guys over there, whether they support the war or not, are cheered by this news.

This is exactly the kind of thing that the freepers accuse us of - rooting for defeat.

Go ahead, flame away.

eileen from OH

[molly]

8. Eileen - I basically agree with you - however

this sends a very strong message to the mis-administration about SHARING. They do not play nice with others. They need to turn the whole mess over to the UN and let them make the decisions. There are now at least 100 more Bin Laden's ready to strike the US. We are hated everywhere.

[eileen from OH]

12. I know what you are saying

but I'd like to see any evidence that ANY country pulling out will in any way affect this administration's policy. They were ready to go it alone at the onset and I'm fully convinced they're still that way. They just use it as another excuse to ratchet up the patriotic crap.

And does Spain/Honduras pulling out help to get the UN in? How in the world do we turn the whole mess over to the UN if the UN doesn't WANT it. And right now they DON'T - because the security sucks. And they're a helluva lot less likely to want it with countries pulling out, thereby worsening the security situation.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see how other countries pulling out helps, except for making this administration look worse and justifying what we said all along about this clusterf***. And that to me is not a fair trade for more of our people having to stay longer, and more being killed, and making it harder for the UN or NATO to take over.

I understand why they're doing it and don't blame 'em. But I sure ain't cheerin' about it.

eileen from OH

[July]

11. No flames, but ...

The Spaniards and other foreign countries represented in Iraq feel the same way we do about our troops. They don't want them at risk, either, especially in the kind of war they've found themselves in (based on lies, I mean, and one with no clear plan).

I don't root for defeat of our troops, not by any means. But I'm not sure what constitutes "victory." Foreign troops are considering leaving because we created a mess by invading Iraq, and, as facts about the buildup to war come out, the war appears more and more illegitimate. The Spanish leadership has spoken forcefully about never again going to war without the backing of the U.N. and the Spanish people (and they had neither when Aznar cozied up to Bush). That is their right as a sovereign nation. Unfortunately, it will be a little harder for us in Iraq when they leave, although I'm not sure that the loss of 1,300 troops will have a huge impact.

The deaths of our troops is one of the biggest concerns of many DUers. I try to find out who they are and where they're from in a small attempt to honor them as individuals. At the same time, I do see it as at least a partial positive when coalition members call into question the prosecution of the war, whether by pulling their troops or by other means. We need a new plan. I should say we need a plan, period. Bush and his gang won't change anything until they have to. The sooner they buy a clue, the sooner our troops can get out or get a real coalition under the U.N. in place.

All JMO, of course.