tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876012087863461251.post5488623961360058509..comments2023-10-07T07:59:07.050-04:00Comments on "friday-lunch-club": "Don't hold your breath on a US withdrawal from Iraq"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876012087863461251.post-75421155132952952212008-12-18T11:20:00.000-05:002008-12-18T11:20:00.000-05:00Pepe Escobar in the Asia Times said: SOFA, negotia...Pepe Escobar in the Asia Times said: SOFA, negotiated after an extremely turbulent eight months, rules that the US military must totally withdraw from Iraq by December 2011 (a real timeline, always fought by the Bush camp); there will be no military bases left behind; and the US military cannot use Iraq to attack Iran or anyone else. <BR/><BR/>For all practical purposes - and of course barring inexorable Pentagon pressure over president-elect Barack Obama - the neo-colonial Bush war/occupation will be over by the end of 2011. <BR/><BR/>Bush's White House was so exultant with this "success" that it did not even publish a copy of SOFA in English.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876012087863461251.post-90536293539881432432008-12-18T02:39:00.000-05:002008-12-18T02:39:00.000-05:00One cannot but be amazed at the wishful thinking s...One cannot but be amazed at the wishful thinking still prevailing in certain quarters in the US. The withdrawal of troops is a given. Considerations about how much and when will be dictated by facts on the ground. Among such facts, the Iraqi people do not want the presence of US troops of any kind, of any size. Notwithstanding the comment of Ms Perino, the "shoe thrower", an Iraqi shiite, is representative of the Iraqi people. Mr. Malki, is not even if the ballot polls have said otherwise. And how can one accept ballot polls results when conducted under occupying forces? Nonetheless, even if President-elect Mr. Obama would feel the need of staying in some form in Iraq (a contradiction to the core of his electoral campaign pledge), the cost of staying is and will remain prohibitive. If oil prices drop to around $25 neither the Iraqis nor anyone else will be in a position to 'pay' for the occupation. Mr. Obama will have to deal with major recovery issues at home that will cost a bundle. Additional expenses in Iraq are not part of the course.<BR/>As to those who think that SOFA no longer makes US presence as an occupying force, 'shoe throwers' feel otherwise!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5876012087863461251.post-84721007221714276142008-12-17T18:50:00.000-05:002008-12-17T18:50:00.000-05:006/30 DATE FOR THE CITIES MAYBE MANIPULABLE12/31/20...6/30 DATE FOR THE CITIES MAYBE MANIPULABLE<BR/><BR/>12/31/2011 IS a GIVEN...FOR all FORCES<BR/><BR/>MATTER OF FACT IT WILL BE QUITE EARLIERAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com