Combat Missions in Iraq are over.

[Rusty Shackleford]

i am personally quite happy that combat missions are over. something like 50,000 advisors will still be in the country but no more combat-only missions apparently.



video and source (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744453/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/)

IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER — The last U.S. combat troops were crossing the border into Kuwait on Thursday morning, bringing to a close the active combat phase of a 7½-year war that overthrew the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, forever defined the presidency of George W. Bush and left more than 4,400 American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead.
The final convoy of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., began entering Kuwait about 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday ET), carrying the last of the 14,000 U.S. combat forces in Iraq, said NBC’s Richard Engel, who has been traveling with the brigade as it moved out this week.
The departure marks the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, P.J. Crowley, a spokesman for the State Department, told msnbc TV. But while it is “an historic moment,” he said, it is not the end of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
“We are ending the war ... but we are not ending our work in Iraq,” he said. “We have a long-term commitment to Iraq.”
The long convoy began moving earlier this week, and as the last soldiers reached Kuwait after midnight, they said they were proud of their effort.
“We are done with operations,” Lt. Steven DeWitt of San Jose, Calif., said as his vehicle reached Khabari Crossing on the border.
“This was a professional soldier’s job,” he said, describing “a war that has defined this generation of military men and women.



thoughts? i mean, other than what i said i dont know what else to think. what is the future of the puppet state?

[The Vegan Marxist]

The less that come out of Iraq, the more will be placed in Afghanistan.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I was thinking the exact same thing really. Are the combat troops just going to be redeployed in afghanistan? i wouldnt doubt it.

[scarletghoul]

lol, 50000 'advisors' ?? Does Iraq really need that much 'advice', and must it be delivered with tanks and guns and an embassy the size of a small city ?

I'm not sure if this is an attempt to conceal the occupation to lower resistance or if they genuinely think the puppet government is secure enough on its own.. but whatever it is theyre clearly aiming for a long term presence, to make it like another Japan or South Korea :(

[Rusty Shackleford]

obviously its goign to be long-term. they built a fucking fortress in baghdad.

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060414/060414_embassy_hmed_3p.hlarge.jpg
http://kewe.info/thewe_/images_5/__/us_global_attack_strategy_/us_embassy_baghdad.jpe
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQNo1ARkzRqKM6zEn_t0CfPWY9aVGBrL _60Ae-_zVrHz61gNpg&t=1&usg=__niZCQJXvdQlnqN2OiACtPQlReQo=
763 Million dollars for this fucking monstrosity. (http://berrystreetbeacon.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/736000000-baghdad-bememoth-called-a-fire-risk/)

Page called "How the Baghdad Embassy Was Built" (http://www.shunpiking.com/ol0405/0405-WD-DP-howusemb.htm)

it even has a swimming pool.


The message is clear. Indeed, it's gigantic for all Iraqi's, for the entire world to see. A 100-acre compound - ten times the size of the typical U.S. embassy, the size of 80 football fields, six times larger than the UN, the size of Vatican City. The U.S. Embassy Compound, in the middle of Baghdad - the centre for U.S. domination of the Middle East and its resources.

[The Vegan Marxist]

I was thinking the exact same thing really. Are the combat troops just going to be redeployed in afghanistan? i wouldnt doubt it.

It's pretty much obvious that more troops in Afghanistan is the initial plans here. Especially after WikiLeaks slammed the Afghan war. Propaganda such as the "Reason Why We Must Remain In Afghanistan" Times article is disgusting, but it shows that they're using whatever resources they have to increase aggression within Afghanistan.

[scarletghoul]

it even has a swimming pool.
the swimming pool is of vital importance for advising the iraqis. what if they encounter a rogue pool while patrolling the streets of baghdad, for example

[The Vegan Marxist]

*In latest news, Pools have gone wild in the streets of Afghanistan. Back to you Betty..*

[Rusty Shackleford]

*In latest news, Pools have gone wild in the streets of Afghanistan. Back to you Betty..*
wrong imperialist project. fail.

Also, did you all hear about the 61 dead at an Iraqi army recruiting office?


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/08/18/51-killed-at-iraq-army-base-115875-22495150/

this article says 51 but ive seen as high as 61

[Nolan]

I'd be pulling out the champagne if only it weren't for the reason that the Iraqi people have be crushed by the occupation.

[Homo Songun]

lol, 50000 'advisors' ?? Does Iraq really need that much 'advice', and must it be delivered with tanks and guns and an embassy the size of a small city ?

I'm not sure if this is an attempt to conceal the occupation to lower resistance or if they genuinely think the puppet government is secure enough on its own.. but whatever it is theyre clearly aiming for a long term presence, to make it like another Japan or South Korea :(

This. And yes, it does need that level of 'advice', in my opinion this mainly serves as a propaganda stunt for domestic consumption. Essentially, this just the rebadging of an ongoing imperialist project. The Iraqi people will continue fight, Americans and lots of Iraqis will continue to die. I guess Obama is much smarter than the Neo cons.

[Homo Songun]

the swimming pool is of vital importance for advising the iraqis. what if they encounter a rogue pool while patrolling the streets of baghdad, for example

I wonder if there'll be a sign saying "Pools Closed" when the Americans finally get kicked out

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

It is a good thing that they're getting out of Iraq, but yeah... they're just going to Afghanistan... and overall, I don't see much of anything changing... regardless of whether or not the countries stabilize or fall to civil war... they're going to remember what we did and they are always going to hate us for it. And they'll probably get involved with things that we hate. But, as long as innocent people aren't dying or suffering, then that isn't a problem. :)

[Nolan]

Watch the current government undergo a popular revolt or coup when and if the US pulls out completely. Then they'll be back to square one.

[The Vegan Marxist]

What about Blackwater? Could they keep closed door missions using Blackwater within Iraq?

[TwoSevensClash]

Watch the current government undergo a popular revolt or coup when and if the US pulls out completely. Then they'll be back to square one.
I think thats why there 50000 troops left. As a warning to Iraq that you can't have to much fun.

[Lacrimi de Chiciură]

Bush already declared the end of major combat operations a long time ago.

http://thefulcrum.blogspot.com/Bush-Mission-Accomplished.jpg
This is just superficial posturing. Now Democrats can say that Obama ended the war, and transformed Iraq into a happy, "responsible" little neocolony.

[The Vegan Marxist]

I find this very important:


Obama Sells To The World A Fake End To The Iraq War
by Jason Ditz, August 18, 2010

It was another of those great TV moments. Embedded reports filming as the “last” brigade of American troops in Iraq cross the border into Kuwait bringing over seven years of unhappy conflict to its final, conclusive end. America was, at last, at peace.

But like so many other great TV moments, this one was a scripted fantasy, a fake exit done purely for political gain by an increasingly unpopular president trying to look like he is keeping at least one campaign promise.

It was perhaps a different sort of scripted, mythical end to the Iraq War than the last one, the May 1, 2003 “Mission Accomplished” speech of President Bush, but it was no more real, as over 50,000 US troops remain on the ground in Iraq tonight.

The “end of the war” may bring some measure of relief to the American people, but it must be something of a sombre moment for those 50,000 troops, as they continue to go into combat operations with the bulk of the American public believing, because their president told them so, that the war is over and combat operations have ended.

Officials have been pretty straightforward about what really happened, not that it has been picked up by the media, which has preferred the more pleasant narrative of a decisive military victory. Instead, the US simply “redefined” the vast majority of its combat troops as “transitional troops,” then removed a brigade that they didn’t relabel, so they could claim that was the “last one.” Even this comes with the assumption that the State Department, and a new army of contractors, will take over for years after the military operations end, assuming they ever do.

And it worked, at least for now. All is right with the world and the war is over, at least so far as anyone could tell from the TV news shows. But as violence continues to rise across Iraq, and July saw the worst violence in over two years, it will likely be difficult for the Obama Administration to keep this war a secret for much longer.

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/08/18/us-announces-second-fake-end-to-iraq-war/

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

50,000 troops vs 31,xxx,xxx pissed off people who want to control their own fate.... yeah... that isn't going to end to well for the American gov. revolution will probably pursue in Iraq, since everything is on edge and since there is no stability.

[The Vegan Marxist]

50,000 troops vs 31,xxx,xxx pissed off people who want to control their own fate.... yeah... that isn't going to end to well for the American gov. revolution will probably pursue in Iraq, since everything is on edge and since there is no stability.

I think there'll be a revolution in Afghanistan first though. A 600 man protest took place just a day or so ago against the US presence, & it's only getting larger.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

I think there'll be a revolution in Afghanistan first though. A 600 man protest took place just a day or so ago against the US presence, & it's only getting larger.

I think you're going to be right about this especially since Iraq is still a little more stable than Afghanistan. Also, Afghanistan's government is far closer to collapse than Iraq's (not that they're far behind) especially since Afghanistan is risking a dictator right now...

[The Douche]

Yeah the war is sure over.:rolleyes:


One of my friends left last week for a year long deployment to Iraq. I'm sure he won't see any combat either...

[LETSFIGHTBACK]

Yeah the war is sure over.:rolleyes:


One of my friends left last week for a year long deployment to Iraq. I'm sure he won't see any combat either...

Saying the war is over is like saying this economy is stable.:lol:

[Rusty Shackleford]

the 50,000 troops remaining were just renamed to advisory (insert formation)