WHO will really END the war?

[annabanana]

There is a mile-wide gap between the Democrats' analysis of the war and that of John McCain, and that's evident in the candidates' rhetoric. Those differences are significant, in that they would lead to very different political climates in which the issue would be debated after the election.

But all three candidates have embraced the Catch-22 that assures our enduring presence in Iraq. It can be summed up like this: U.S. forces must remain in Iraq as long as an active insurgency contributes to its instability, and an active insurgency will continue to create instability until the United States makes a commitment to a full withdrawal.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/81251/

[MH1]

1. Who will be most likely to respond to the clamor from the American people

to remove our troops from Iraq?

My avatar says who I think it is.

But we KNOW it isn't McCain, because HIS base wants MORE war.

[SteinbachMB]

2. Good question.

Somebody has to end it (it should have been ended long ago, or,.....you know) but it just won't be easy to do it well. I think the real question might be: when will the last US soldier/contractor leave Iraq?

[KharmaTrain]

3. The Iraqis

These people have endured many invasions over the centuries and will endure again. And thanks to our ass-backward "military planning", we've armed all factions to the teeth and our stressed military is standing in the cross-hairs on all sides. It's not an if, but a when that all hell breaks loose and the military options will diminish.

Gramps is a total dud on defense...clueless and wedded to endless wars for profits. I would love for some corporate media stenographer to dare to ask him to clearly define what "victory" would be. Gramps would go into vapor lock.

Whomever inherits this mess can't just wave a wand and the troops come home on January 21. The cone of silence over the real atatus of both this invasion and our military are still unknown and to push an immediate timetable at this point is unrealistic. However, once a new administration is in place, the priority must be to start the ball rolling to get us out of this quagmire. That will require rebuilding diplomatic alliances and trust...things that will take time...and then some way to guuarantee our military cover while they get out.

The one thing I'd like to hear the candidates discuss is who would be in their cabinets. Which brains and experience would they bring onboard to fix all the messes of the past 8 years.

[B Calm]

4. Obama will end the republican Iraqi war.

[kentuck]

5. The truth will end this war.

We have never been told the truth about this war. Not in the beginning and not now. The surge is a failure. We have worn out our welcome. We cannot keep our troops in Iraq much longer. It's just a matter of time before we have to leave. Because the Maliki government is collapsing even as we speak.

[annabanana]

10. We propped up the Saigon regime for a long long time.. . .n/t

[laststeamtrain]

6. My guess: When a critical mass is reached in congress with the wherewithal & political will...

...to stop the funding.

[Echo In Light]

7. Who ended the Vietnam aggression?

[annabanana]

9. yeah

It looks like it has to be us.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. The last man standing.

There is no end to the Iraq war in sight.

What Bush started can't be finished by anyone in the current field.