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Last US Combat Troops Leave Iraq

Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

You mean just like "Mission accomplished" on an aircraft carrier?

And that was dumb too. Thanks for reminding us.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

The aircraft carrier accomplished its mission.

Thats true, but Bush did declare the end to all major combat operations in Iraq. That was the real stupid thing, not some PR guy thinking it would look cool to have Mission Accomplished in the background.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

Thats true, but Bush did declare the end to all major combat operations in Iraq. That was the real stupid thing, not some PR guy thinking it would look cool to have Mission Accomplished in the background.

True, but he couldn't have predicted an insurgency and civil war, now could he?

Major combat operations were over.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

True, but he couldn't have predicted an insurgency and civil war, now could he?

Major combat operations were over.

That is very debatable given the pre-war condition of Iraq, how it had been held together and the fact that many Iraqis were very pro-Saddam. Not to mention we were attempting to occupy a country of almost 30 million people with only 300,000 troops. And the fact that during the invasion there was a huge amount of Iraqi Army units and equipment left behind. Personally I think its insane to expect to win a war and occupy a country entirely in just over a month and especially with so little fighting that occured during the invasion.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

That is very debatable given the pre-war condition of Iraq, how it had been held together and the fact that many Iraqis were very pro-Saddam. Not to mention we were attempting to occupy a country of almost 30 million people with only 300,000 troops. And the fact that during the invasion there was a huge amount of Iraqi Army units and equipment left behind. Personally I think its insane to expect to win a war and occupy a country entirely in just over a month and especially with so little fighting that occured during the invasion.

The military powers that be at the time, including Rumsfeld, did not consider an insurgency to constitute "major combat operations". "Major combat operations" was the maneuver and engagement of BCTs, both infantry and armor. By this definition, they were right, there were no more "major combat operations".

Once the insurgency was in full swing 3 years later, it turns out that there were "major combat operations" left, in the form of counter-insurgency.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

Probably because it's only a "momentous" event on paper.
No, probably not as momentus as Saigon. But at least we left with some dignity and didn't leave tens of thousands behind to get slaughtered.
 
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I am glad we are slowly giving the Iraqis back their country and I am sure the years to come they will continue to be a strong ally in the region. Now we need to wrap up Afghanistan, go to the part of Africa where al-Quaeda is heading and hopefully within the next 3 years everyone can come home and have a party.
From what I hear we are already there and in about nine other countries "surgically" taking out Al Qaeda cells with our ahem, intelligence and covertness.

I hope that when "everyone comes home" that we have the jobs to accomodate them and the resources to take care of their ptsd's.
 
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Should i be scared or happy? I hope this turns out well. God bless our NATO boys.

Both are pretty reasonable.

Anyone want to wager how long after we leave their country falls apart again?

Anyone want to start a pool on how long it will be, before we go back in, full bore, with a brand new batch of shavetails, to start all over from scratch?

Not at all. I don't bet that my QB will stay healthy all year, I don't bet that my father's next private protection job is going to go well, and I don't bet that the blood sweat and lives of the men and women of my country is going to go to waste.

Those are things you don't "bet" on, those are things you cross your fingers and hope for the best and at worst you prepare for the possability that they don't. You don't celebrate the possability of them going wrong by turning it into some kind of lottery.
 
Of course it was. And it's not a surprise, after 1945 the USA have occupied 18 countries in order to "spread democracy", it has worked only with Germany and Japan (two modern countries which had already some experience with democracy) and possibly 2 others.

List these 18 countries.

Oh and if you're counting the Meiji Restoration as "Experience with Democracy," then I guess sham elections granting 0 actual political authority to those elected = experience with Democracy.
 
List these 18 countries.
Oh and if you're counting the Meiji Restoration as "Experience with Democracy," then I guess sham elections granting 0 actual political authority to those elected = experience with Democracy.
Never mind that the German experience with democracy failed as miserably as it possibly could have.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

No, probably not as momentus as Saigon. But at least we left with some dignity and didn't leave tens of thousands behind to get slaughtered.

Except for the 50K+ troops who still remain.
 
Both are pretty reasonable.





Not at all. I don't bet that my QB will stay healthy all year, I don't bet that my father's next private protection job is going to go well, and I don't bet that the blood sweat and lives of the men and women of my country is going to go to waste.

Those are things you don't "bet" on, those are things you cross your fingers and hope for the best and at worst you prepare for the possability that they don't. You don't celebrate the possability of them going wrong by turning it into some kind of lottery.

I was going to bet against them and let my bad luck work in their favor. I never win a bet.
 
What it means? The last units designed for offensive and peacekeeping operations have withdrawn, the remaining 50,000 are entirely support units with no meaningful offensive or combative capability (at least compared to our combat troops).

That's not entirely accurate. Support units have offensive and combative capabilities, too.
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

Except for the 50K+ troops who still remain.
50,000 qualifies as 'tens of thousands', right?
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

Probably because it's only a "momentous" event on paper.

More like they all had their heads jammed up their asses about some other thing going on in NYC....
 
Re: Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

50,000 qualifies as 'tens of thousands', right?

According to the math I was taught in public school, yes.
 
the remaining 50,000 are entirely support units with no meaningful offensive or combative capability (at least compared to our combat troops).


It just doesn't get anymore reckless and maddening than that!
 
the remaining 50,000 are entirely support units with no meaningful offensive or combative capability (at least compared to our combat troops).

No, they are just as well-armed as a "combat" brigade. The only difference is that they have more advisory positions and their mission isn't combat.
 
I wish I could say it was a victory, but it wasn’t because the USA in all its glorious wisdom created a Sharia state that will inevitably rejoin Dar al Islam in prosecuting its perpetual global jihad against the West and all unbelievers. Only it will be able to resume jihad far faster and stronger than otherwise courtesy of the USA.

In other words, in this country today we have the blind leading the blind.
 
No, they are just as well-armed as a "combat" brigade. The only difference is that they have more advisory positions and their mission isn't combat.

........................................Link???
 
No, they are just as well-armed as a "combat" brigade. The only difference is that they have more advisory positions and their mission isn't combat.
This is correct in terms of the solders and their equipment, though the units themsevles do not have the armored assets that the combat brigades have.

They still have armored humvees and MRAPs (to some extent) but not M2/3 Bradleys, Abrams and Strykers.

As an aside: Whoever came up with the name "Stryker" shoud be hung.
 
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No, they are just as well-armed as a "combat" brigade. The only difference is that they have more advisory positions and their mission isn't combat.

It gets even better than this. They *are* a combat BCT brigade with full armament. They have just been renamed an "advisory" brigade. In name only.
 
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