How will the Iraq War end?

**Ironduke** · 20 Nov 08,, 09:18

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

We will be pulled out of Iraq by a Democrat controlled Congress and President. El Sadir will then pick up where Saddam Hussein left off and take over the country with his terrorists.

It will be right back where it was before we invaded:
No Schools
What schools there are, girls will not be allowed to attend.
No Fresh Water
No Food
Women will have to wear black from head to toe
Terrorist bombings will increase against opposing sects of Muslim religion
If we boycott Iraq in trade (oil, etc.) their economy will cause more starvation.
If we continue trade with Iraq, we will be supporting terrorism. Catch 22.

Rusty, the situation regarding female education and dress was actually the opposite pre-invasion. Saddam was a secular Arab nationalist. Now Saddam did squander his nation's wealth away on two wars and neglected infrastructure improvements and economic development and committed particularly egregious human rights violations, ethnic cleansing, and such, but he was not an Islamist. Terrorist organizations he supported in the West Bank/Gaza and elsewhere were also secular Arab nationalist.

If, hypothetically, Iraq becomes an Islamist-governed state after the US leaves, it will be Shi'ite and not Sunni. Al-Qaeda is strictly extremist Sunni, they draw their beliefs from Wahhabism which is the official Saudi religious sect. Shi'ites are not in any way involved in Al-Qaeda and in Iraq have suffered thousands dead as a result of Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks.

**T_igger_cs_30** · 20 Nov 08,, 09:30

It will end as we intended, we have to start accepting that too, over the next period of time we will hand over to a stabilised Iraqi government, that was always the intent ,is it as stable as we would like? possibly not.
It is a two way street we can only guide them so far, it takes far longer to establish a democratic way of life than we could possibly stay. It is not as if it will be leave and forget, there will be aid, assistence, all the help they want still available to them.
The Iraq government have already shown that they want us to leave.

Thier future is in thier own hands.

Lets leave with our heads held high, we did our job.

**JamesCash** · 20 Nov 08,, 11:51

Originally Posted by Ironduke

In that case, let's hope Iraq eventually follows the Netherlands case in reconciling their religious divisions -- you did it with Catholics and Protestants.

Eventually it came to pillarisation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillarisation) but that was partly the result of political elites working together.

Herodotus · 20 Nov 08,, 15:44

The Iraqis could end it for us if they don't approve the SOFA draft according to this:

The US will withdraw its troops from Iraq if the security pact between the two governments is not signed, Iraqi media quoted a senior United States official as saying Wednesday.

'The United States will withdraw its forces from Iraq and refuse to approve an extension of the UN Security Council mandate if the treaty is not signed,' David Satterfield, senior advisor to the US secretary of state and the country's Iraq coordinator, told the semi- official al-Sabah newspaper.

Satterfield met with Iraqi groups opposing the so-called Status of Forces Agreement to try to persuade them to support it, the newspaper reported.

The agreement sets the legal basis for the future presence of US troops in Iraq after a United Nations Security Council mandate expires at the end of the year.

Under the pact, the deadline for the complete withdrawal of US troops - currently standing at more than 140,000 - would be December 31, 2011.

Signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker on Monday, the deal however still needs parliamentary approval before it can be signed by the US and Iraqi presidents.

In Hillah, about 85 kilometres south of Baghdad, more than 5,000 Iraqis including clan chiefs and students demonstrated in support of the pact, witnesses told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Chanting slogans urging the Iraqi government to sign the security agreement, the demonstrators carried flags and signs reading: 'Together for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq' and 'With heart, with blood, we save you, Iraq.'

The demonstrators walked to the city council surrounded by hundreds of Iraqi police and soldiers.

Meanwhile, at least six people were injured in separate bomb blasts Wednesday.

Five people were injured by a bomb in central Baghdad's Oqbah bin Nafaa square, and a soldier was injured in the northern city of Mosul by a bomb attack on an army patrol, security sources told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/ne...deal__1st_Lead

The Iraqi Parliament adjourns at the end of Nov. so we will see soon what happens.

**~~Non-Vet~~** · 22 Nov 08,, 16:54

We will NEVER leave because it gives us too much of a strategic advantage to be there. That is why we built that base there out in the middle of nowhere. We will remain there for many years unless something out of the ordinary happens.

**FlyingCaddy** · 22 Nov 08,, 22:33

I think we should all keep in mind the US embasy in Iraq is 104 Acres. I doubt the US is not leaving completely for some time. I can envision a standing force in Iraq of several thousand for decades to come, like Germany, Japan or South Korea.

S2 · 22 Nov 08,, 22:42

"I can envision a standing force in Iraq of several thousand for decades to come, like Germany, Japan or South Korea."

I can envision the Iraqi gov't making that call.

**Ryan Bailey** · 01 Dec 08,, 01:38

Originally Posted by Chaobam Armour

From what Barak Obama is saying it may be sooner rather than later.

Its important to recall that political posturing & campaign slogans rarely translate into reality.

The democrat party implicitly promised to "end the war" when they won the House in 2006. They would go on to escalate it instead. Remember the anti-war movements of Cindy Sheehan & Michael Moore ?

Many of us in The States are proud to think of ourselves not as pro-War or anti-War but Pro American & Anti Terrorist.

God Bless America (& Her Allies).

**Kernow** · 01 Dec 08,, 02:00

Originally Posted by Non-Vet

We will NEVER leave because it gives us too much of a strategic advantage to be there. That is why we built that base there out in the middle of nowhere. We will remain there for many years unless something out of the ordinary happens.

You're out by 2011.