After more than 4 years of death and destruction Gates urges patience in Iraq - He is nuts too

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.star-telegram.com/251/story/90870.html

DALLAS -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates left little doubt that the challenges of Iraq and the Middle East are "daunting" and that the news can be "depressing."

Yet Gates, who took over the Defense Department five months ago amid mounting criticism that the Iraq operation was failing, reminded Dallas business leaders at the Hilton Anatole of some history they might consider -- the 1970s.

He ticked off other events: the evacuation of Saigon, the victory of the North Vietnamese, skyrocketing inflation, an energy crisis, a revolution in Iran, hostages in the Tehran Embassy, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and a time when, he said, the Soviet Union was "ascendant, and we were reeling."

[bdamomma]

1. when are people going to realize this is a no win situation

I have just finished watching on PBS on line Gangs of Iraq, our soldiers are being thrusted into a Civil War that we have no business in being. Do those soldiers know anything about the factions of people and their religions and beliefs? Just watching this special we are the occupier of this country. We will never be trusted by anyone in that country.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gangsofiraq/view/

[Zywiec]

2. Patience is not going to help

I could understand patience if we were just a month away from successfully pulling our soldiers out, but success is nowhere to be seen. Our soldiers train to fight and win wars, not police up civil unrest. We need to get our troops home as quickly as possible.

[Gin]

5. I just watched all the segments......the segment "Revamping the

Training" says it all. The contractor, safely in Jordan, on our dime, trying to make the Iraqi soldiers pledge allegiance to the Iraq flag instead of their sects, underscores the lack of knowledge we had, before invading Iraq.

[DawnIsis]

3. To those of you that think we can't just leave Iraq because it will cause a (BIGGER) civil war

the Bush admin is counting on your sympathy to continue their war. Believe me I feel awful about the Iraqis who MAY die when we withdraw but Bush has been using this same tactic for years to get us to go along. When we withdraw whether it's tomorrow or in 10 years the Iraqis we either have a big civil war or not.

I think it was the neocons plan all along to screw things up so bad in Iraq we would HAVE to stay cuz that is their real objective. A permanent presence in Iraq.

[INdemo]

4. Is there really a difference between Gates and Rumsfeld policies

I see no difference at all..He says one thing at the confirmation hearings than acts just the opposite....He is just another * yes man...