Strategic redeployment - this is the Democrat plan?

[BushOut06]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/02/20/democrats_may_unite_on_plan_to_pull_troops/

WASHINGTON -- After months of trying unsuccessfully to develop a common message on the war in Iraq, Democratic Party leaders are beginning to coalesce around a broad plan to begin a quick withdrawal of US troops and install them elsewhere in the region, where they could respond to emergencies in Iraq and help fight terrorism in other countries.

The concept, dubbed ''strategic redeployment," is outlined in a slim, nine-page report coauthored by a former Reagan administration assistant Defense secretary, Lawrence J. Korb, in the fall. It sets a goal of a phased troop withdrawal that would take nearly all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2007, although many Democrats disagree on whether troop draw-downs should be tied to a timeline...."

So let me get this straight - our plan is to pull our troops from Iraq - but not all of them - and to redeploy them around the region? Where exactly are we going to deploy them? Saudi Arabia? Kuwait? Turkey? Iran? Um, isn't the presence of American troops in the holy land of Saudi Arabia what provoked Bin Laden? He didn't give two shits about us going into Iraq, he hated Saddam just as much as we did. It wasn't until "infidel" troops set up camp in Islam's holiest land that he became incensed.

Does anyone really think that a "strategic redeployment" is really the correct answer?

[Burning Water]

1. Not me.

I'm with you on this one. This is a bad idea.

[BushOut06]

2. People want true alternatives - not just GOP-lite

Which I'm afraid is what this plan looks like.

[sandnsea]

3. That's the Murtha Plan

The Kerry plan was to bring them home by the end of the year. In 2004, his plan was to start bringing the majority home in 2005. He just wrote another letter pressing Bush to announce there would be no permanent bases in Iraq.

This is the problem, there's the Murtha Plan, the Hillary stay the course plan, the Kerry bring them all the way home plan.

That's why the Dem Party has been silent on Iraq. Again.

[johnaries]

4. Exactly!

I haven't read the plan yet, but I hope it's close to Murtha's plan.

I used to support Kerry's plan, until I realized that just our presence there was making the problem worse. Murtha is also probably the most well-informed Congressman on military matters, so I was ecstatic when he came out in favor of "over the horizon" redeployment ASAP.

[BushOut06]

6. What's the difference?

If you build permanent bases in the middle of the Iraqi desert, is that really much different than building those same bases just across the border in Saudi Arabia? I respect Murtha, and agree that we need to pull our troops out of Iraq - I just don't like the idea of sticking them right across the border or leaving them in the region.

[sandnsea]

7. Disengagement

That's key to his plan. Stop sending our troops out on missions because it's just fueling the insurgency, that was the "terrorize" comment that they chose to distort. Start bringing serious numbers of our troops home, stop sending them out on missions, have them tighten up the borders to keep outside forces out. Diffuse the situation and then bring our troops all the way home.

It's much better than the "over the horizon" permanent military in the ME plan.

[blm]

9. You both have it wrong - this is a 2yr Korb plan - Murtha's was redeploy

POSSIBLY within 6mo. Kerry's was a significant drawdown by end of 2006 not just drawback.

Korb's was a redeploy arounfd the region within a 2yr period. Korb's is an extended version of Murtha's. Kerry's is a pull out over a year with significant drawdowns quickly - like after the election last December - to demonstrate right off the bat that we have no intention of staying. He wanted NO PERMANENT BASES and the ones built already to be turned over to the Iraqis.

[ProSense]

10. And not one mention of Kerry's plan or the fact that

he wrote to Pace requesting they make a public statement about no permanent bases.

And you're right blm, Murtha's plan is based on Korb's.

[BushOut06]

5. I like the 'bring them home' plan

Honestly, what difference does it really make if you have permanent bases inside of Iraq as opposed to permanent bases just a few hundred miles away in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait?

[sandnsea]

8. None that I can see

Just spread the war.

[madfloridian]

11. At least it would get the guards and reserves home right away.

That is part of the plan.