What would be your military strategy for Iraq?

[kentuck]

Understanding that most will vote for immediate withdrawal, if that was not an option, what would be your plan? Would total withdrawal be your only strategy?

If total withdrawal was not an option, I would recommend withdrawal of all troops from the Green Zone and the Baghdad area. After all, most of the violence is within the capitol city of Baghdad or surrounding towns. Get the US troops out of those areas and put them on red alert status - ready to go back in to put out fires and flashpoints. In other words, let the Sunnis and different groups in and around Baghdad work it out mostly by themselves.

That said, I would still think an immediate withdrawal would be the right policy.

[Gman]

1. GTF out now!

real simple.

edited to change "asap" to "now"!

[kentuck]

3. But if that was not an option?

Would you have another plan?

[Gman]

11. If anything

I like the recommendations of the ISG. Leave troops as advisors. Train the Iraq military and police the best we can, at least try to give them the tools and skills they need. Get the ground guys out.

[Philosoraptor]

2. Cut and run with honor, seriously, followed by apologies & reparations.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Cut off the money and let Exxon pay for their own security...

The companies making all the money need to pay their own expenses!

[bryant69]

5. I don't know that there is a strategy for victory at this point

Even my former favorite - we get out and let the UN in (with troops from other natiosn, not our own) and abandon our oily ambitions seems unlikely to succeed at this point.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[sweetheart]

6. Operation starbucks iraq

My military strategy would be quite simple, pervasive starbucks.

I would call up 500,000 troops and occupy every corner of iraq, with clear plans
to turn over all lands and oil assets to the iraq people after the eventual withdrawl.

..... that's the 500,000 troop option.

Operation curtis le may.

This operation withdraws all troops as fast as they can get on a hilo, and launches
pervasive carpet bombing of all areas of insurgency until the insurgency stops.
This blunt operation would have fewer caualties than are being taken on the ground
right now, and be surely a 1000'fold escalation over anything the 'enemy' has seen
so far, possibly enough of an escalation to get said enemy to surrender arms.

Since the ground forces are already in there, artillery batteries could start incinerating
city blocks in sadr district and other areas, in a planned demolition of the entire city
of bagdhad, block by block, until they stop.

... general sherman would be proud :-)

[kentuck]

7. I guess that would be a strategy...

:)

[legin]

10. I'd add some good politics to your Operation starbucks

i.e getting israel out of the West Bank too.

I think that the point is that anything short of Operation starbucks won't work.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Can't leave Baghdad kentuck. Heres why

[liberal N proud]

9. Bring them all home