Exceptions Are Proposed To Deadline Of Pullout From Iraq Cities

New York Times:

BAGHDAD -- The United States and Iraq will begin negotiating possible exceptions to the June 30 deadline for withdrawing American combat troops from Iraqi cities, focusing on the troubled northern city of Mosul, according to military officials. Some parts of Baghdad also will still have combat troops.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Independent voter]

From a videotaped interview, October 27, 2007

OBAMA: I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home, we will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank.

[Counterpunch]

We do not need to waste valuable military lives and US money to protect the over-sized US embassy in Iraq, give it to George Bush for his presidential library, the Iraqi people will be so thankful to Dubya. There might be enough room to build a stable at the embassy for all of George’s horses. He is a rancher right!!!

[batmanindy]

No, no no! Just get out of there. We can not afford this war that boo sh foisted on America.

[jesseandrews]

If yall were truly awake you would have seen this coming. It is politics as usual, both parties are only i it for themselves. We need to wake up and vote out all the old blood names and get new people in and put term limits on all so they do not get like this. Watch csapn sometimes, they get up discuss stuff wait for a vote and while waiting they are clapping each other on the back laughing and joking together. They are all in bed with each other.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

Once again, the Israel Lobby and the defense contractors are forcing the hand of the Administration. If people had listened to Obama we wouldn't be there. So what if we leave and there's some violence. That doesn't mean we can't buy their oil, they way we should from Iran as well if we don't already do so.

[RRG64]

The Iraq war was never about terrorism or 9/11.

[RRG64]

The Iraq war is many things to different people. It is called a strategic blunder and a monstrous injustice and sometimes even a patriotic mission, much to the chagrin of rational human beings.

For many big companies, however, the war is something far different: a lucrative cash-cow.

The years-long, ongoing military effort has resurrected fears of the so-called “military-­industrial complex.”

Media pundits are outraged at private companies scooping up huge, no-questions-asked contracts to manufacture weapons, rebuild infrastructure, or anything else the government deems necessary to win (or plant its flag in Iraq).

No matter what your stance on the war, it pays to know where your tax dollars are being spent.

Following is a detailed rundown of the 25 companies squeezing the most profit from this controversial conflict.

1. Halliburton

http://mparent7777-1.livejournal.com/tag/contractors

[AirForce Vet]

Now we are proposing exceptions to the withdrawal timetable. Well, I guess the rats are coming out of the woodwork, as I expected. It didn’t take long to set our preverbal hooks into this country. The best thing for the US as I have stated, is to get out of this misguided disaster. Our loss of human lives and the continued losses in this failed adventure, out way the need for exceptions to the withdrawal timetable. Staying in Iraq or any country does not serve well for our country’s well being or its resources. We haven't yet learned that there is a time to go home, our own home. We must remember that we invaded this country, a country that did not pose at threat to us. It is a travesty to stay even a day longer in something we should have never been a part. Now we are proposing to become the uninvited occupiers. There is no honor in being an idiotic fool or participating in men’s egotistical follies.

[RRG64]

The USA was an uninvited occupier from Day ONE in Iraq.

[cdnnewsjunky]

What about, you broke it, you fix it. It's not like most of the world didn't warn America that this is exactly what would happen if you removed Saddam from power.

[cdnnewsjunky]

How is this different than the number of innocent people executed in the US every year? Barbaric is barbaric!

[cdnnewsjunky]

Apologies, wrong post.

[RRG64]

"In a hotel room in Brussels, the chief executives of the world’s top oil companies unrolled a huge map of the Middle East, drew a fat, red line around Iraq and signed their names to it.

The map, the red line, the secret signatures. It explains this war. It explains this week’s rocketing of the price of oil to $134 a barrel.

It happened on July 31, 1928, but the bill came due now."

http://www.gregpalast.com/obama’s-secret-war-profiteering-tax/

[RRG64]

Halliburton and its former subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), pleaded guilty Wednesday to five-counts of violating federal bribery laws and will pay the federal government $402 million to settle a decade-long criminal investigation into claims the company paid off intermediaries of the notoriously corrupt Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and some of his subordinates to win a lucrative construction contract for a natural gas liquefaction plant while former Vice President Dick Cheney headed the corporation, the Justice Department announced.

KBR entered guilty pleas to a five-count criminal information in federal court in Houston before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison. KBR pleaded guilty to conspiring with its joint-venture partners and others to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by authorizing, promising and paying bribes to a range of Nigerian government officials, including officials of the executive branch of the Nigerian government officials and others in exchange for securing construction contracts.

http://www.zimbio.com/KBR++/articles/104/Halliburton+KBR+Plead+Guilty+Cheney+Era+Bribery

[jordan3189]

Moveon is not going to like this, I'm sure the policy will change after obama gets a good talking to by moveon.

[Peter007]

Bush had a plan to get out of Iraq.
He said. " When the Iraq Army stands up, we will stand down." He never wanted to remain in Iraq.
Obamas position is different.....
Obamas plan is different... Obama will get our troops out when its safe to do so. And there is a time table....... but it is flexible.
Pragmatic.

[espressobeans]

Yeah, right. Different words -- same policy. In maybe a hundred years, the Iraqis will either be standing up or it will be safe enough for us to leave. Change? Not exactly.

[wisecrack]

You're mincing words. Unless angels are going to descend upon Iraq to keep the people safe, the two statements are one and the same.

[Independent voter]

From a videotaped interview, October 27, 2007

OBAMA: I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home, we will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank.

[Peter007]

Somehow the expression " You can take that to the bank"., doesn't instill the same confidence in ones promises as it used to.

[Dredd]

What about Bob?

Baghdad Bob: http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/04/baghdad-bob.html

[texasaggie]

Come on Obamatons, give us a lecture about nuance and pragmatism.

Obama's election has greatly harmed the anti-war movement.

[noneIn2008]

Agree, it is stunning to see the number of new war apologists showing up. Stand on principle. Your principle should not change simply due to a different party title on the President.

[cdnnewsjunky]

The idiot Republicans were told that Iraq would be a Pandora's box. without victory, yet their arrogance got them in a war they couldn't win. They dump it on the new president and proclaim it's his fault. Gotta love the party of responsibility. Just like children, only stupider!

[texasaggie]

You're right, no Democrats supported the war in Iraq. Certainly not the current Chief of Staff, current Secretary of State, current Secretary of Defense, current Vice President, etc. Quit focusing on false dichotomies. This has nothing to do with Republicans vs Democrats.

[Mahi Joe]

Problem is, you pull out of Iraq immediately and all h3ll will break loose (yeah worse that what we see currently) and you will have numerous factions fighting a civil war to gain control resulting in a civil war .These factions had more than enough time to call a truce and try to work together for a solution. The loser will be the innocent civilians which are human beings not just some statistic called collateral damage. Sooner or later we will leave and I just think Obama is trying to minimize the damages and the cost to human lives. I too would like nothing better than to see our troops safely back home. Obama inherited an ugly war and, now since the last administration had no idea or plan to end it, has to come up with a solution. What choices do we have? Obama has his back to the wall and I still have enough faith in him to think he will do the best he can for everyone involved.

[espressobeans]

At this point, I don't care. It's their country, give it back to them. All h3ll has broken loose at home if you haven't looked around already.