Barack Obama ends the war in Iraq. 'Now it's time to turn the page'

[skinsfan07]

Then how do you know as a fact that it is somehow different now?

I don't, but does it not seem like there is a significant amount of hatred towards the president now than there was when Dubya was in office? Or maybe it's just me. idk, and either way I don't care. It just seems odd, that the country is so hell-bent on their own agendas that they can't even get behind the man in charge. Hell people rallied behind Bush so hard that he was elected for a second term! Why not with Obama? We need a true leader that can instead refer to everyone as one political party, rather than dems/reps. IMO as long as we continue to see each other as separate "parties/groups/etc" than no one will ever be happy with who's in charge.

[EersSkins05]

Which probably created, or saved, more jobs than Obama's stimulus did, inside the U.S.

Well, we know for sure it eliminated about 5k employees of the US military.

On a separate note, I don't think calling our troops "combat forces" vs. "counterterrorist security" is only semantics. Our rules of engagement will change, our ability to extract ourselves from civil/tribal skirmishes increases, and we'll be more capably able of saying, "NOT MY PROBLEM" then we are now.

[Predicto]

Seemed like a pretty straightforward and non-confrontational speech.

For everyone who is complaining about it, tell me this:

What do you think the President SHOULD have said? :whoknows:

[luckydevil]

Seemed like a pretty straightforward and non-confrontational speech.

For everyone who is complaining about it, tell me this:

What do you think the President SHOULD have said? :whoknows:

Not a damn thing until you know we actually end it

[AsburySkinsFan]

Not a damn thing until you know we actually end it

Then I assume that you were equally perturbed by Bush's "Mission Accomplish" speech.

[Redskins Diehard]

Seemed like a pretty straightforward and non-confrontational speech.

For everyone who is complaining about it, tell me this:

What do you think the President SHOULD have said? :whoknows:

The only part I have an issue with is the notion that the "combat situation" has changed significantly. There was no light switch flipped on 1 September with respect to that. It is not like we pulled the military out and sent the peace corp in.

[luckydevil]

Then I assume that you were equally perturbed by Bush's "Mission Accomplish" speech.

Uh, yeah.

[twa]

What do you think the President SHOULD have said? :whoknows:

'Now it's time to turn the page' to Iran :evilg:

I got no problem with his speech, it was decent for his position.

[SnyderShrugged]

Are the 4500 special forces troops there for "non combat" duty too?

[AsburySkinsFan]

'Now it's time to turn the page' to Iran :evilg:

Newt when did you get an ES account?

I got no problem with his speech, it was decent for his position.

Finally someone on the Right who actually sees the speech as something that's not a smear against Obama?

Are the 4500 special forces troops there for "non combat" duty too?

Yep, they are advisers and they are training the Iraqi forces. After the shooting stops that's what Special Forces do.

[Duckus]

Seemed like a pretty straightforward and non-confrontational speech.

For everyone who is complaining about it, tell me this:

What do you think the President SHOULD have said? :whoknows:

Good Evening,

I am a Muslim. Always have been, always will be.

I am also a socialist. I want to take your guns, money and of course freedom.

We are leaving Iraq because I am weak on National Security.

Oh, and by the way - **** whitey.

Peace out

[Redskins Diehard]

Yep, they are advisers and they are training the Iraqi forces. After the shooting stops that's what Special Forces do.

"Special Forces" and "Green Berets" are not interchangeable. Training indigenous forces is a mission of the green berets, or SFODA's, which is only a component of "special forces".

So, are you putting it out there that the "shooting has stopped"?

[Predicto]

"Special Forces" and "Green Berets" are not interchangeable. Training indigenous forces is a mission of the green berets, or SFODA's, which is only a component of "special forces".

So, are you putting it out there that the "shooting has stopped"?

The shooting will never stop in that part of the world, not in our lifetimes.

Nevertheless, eventually you need some closure. We may still have some troops in Iraq, but we are announcing to the world and to the Iraqi people that Iraq is now in charge of itself. That is an important thing to do, for diplomatic and strategic purposes.

[Dan T.]

[Obama speech translation.]

[Redskins Diehard]

The shooting will never stop in that part of the world, not in our lifetimes.

Nevertheless, eventually you need some closure. We may still have some troops in Iraq, but we are announcing to the world and to the Iraqi people that Iraq is now in charge of itself. That is an important thing to do, for diplomatic and strategic purposes.

We still have a lot of troops in Iraq. My issue with the speech is not that he gave it. I think he should have left out the "the combat mission in Iraq has ended". When you have US troops and you have shooting you have a "combat mission". End Iraqi Freedom and give it a new name. Make the statement that the Iraqi people have lead responsibility for the security of their country. He could have accomplished what needed to be accomplished in the second paragraph without painting a picture that body armor and weapons were being put away.

[Dan T.]

When you have US troops and you have shooting you have a "combat mission"...

I totally disagree with that statement.

[luckydevil]

I totally disagree with that statement.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/us-combat-operations-ending-iraq-country-remains-war/story?id=11526977

"We're combat troops. We're still here. We still have a job to do," the soldier said. "The names change, but the mission's pretty much the same."

Well some on the ground disagree

[Dan T.]

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/us-combat-operations-ending-iraq-country-remains-war/story?id=11526977

Well some on the ground disagree

Or you could have selected this quote, from the same article:

"An American soldier always has the right to self-defense," Coffman said. "When bullets start flying, everyone reacts on instinct."

These days, though, it's mostly Iraqis, not Americans, on the front lines. For example, at one checkpoint, Iraqi troops could be seen searching vehicles while American soldiers monitored their work via video feeds.

"There's not too much left that we have to do," one soldier said.

[Redskins Diehard]

I totally disagree with that statement.

Of course you do. What do you call it then when an "advisor" to an Iraqi unit gets involved in a firefight? Are the Iraqis in "combat" and the American in "transition"? Do you think the profile of a refueling convoy changes? Should the US guys leave their "combat gear" at home?

The LAST thing I would want if I were in charge of one of those soldiers(and I have been in charge of soldiers in that place before) is for them to think the "combat mission" is over. The combat mission is over when the shooting stops or they are back home.

[Redskins Diehard]

Or you could have selected this quote, from the same article:

"An American soldier always has the right to self-defense," Coffman said. "When bullets start flying, everyone reacts on instinct."

These days, though, it's mostly Iraqis, not Americans, on the front lines. For example, at one checkpoint, Iraqi troops could be seen searching vehicles while American soldiers monitored their work via video feeds.

"There's not too much left that we have to do," one soldier said.

Yeah, we had Iraqis checking vehicles in 2003, or maybe it was 2004, also.

I am not sure how Coffman's quote has anything to do with it being a combat mission or not. Or the anonymous quote for that matter.

[Predicto]

Of course you do. What do you call it then when an "advisor" to an Iraqi unit gets involved in a firefight? Are the Iraqis in "combat" and the American in "transition"? Do you think the profile of a refueling convoy changes? Should the US guys leave their "combat gear" at home?

The LAST thing I would want if I were in charge of one of those soldiers(and I have been in charge of soldiers in that place before) is for them to think the "combat mission" is over. The combat mission is over when the shooting stops or they are back home.

Do you really think that this speech is going to make the grunts still in Iraq take off their flak jackets?

Your objections appear overstated.

[Dan T.]

Maybe it's just semantics. Nobody holds the illusion that the 50,000 still in Iraq won't face combat situations. It's a strawman argument to suggest that. Obviously, it remains a dangerous place. The primary mission of those troops will not be combat though. I'm surprised that seems to be such a hard concept to grasp for some.

[Bang]

I think by and large the military has handled the war in Iraq quite well, they accomplished the mission with minimal casualties among our forces.

I think given that, the military commanders who are in charge of the final operations are well aware and will be as efficient in their duty now, whether they are called Combat Forces or Travelling Secretaries.

~Bang

[Zguy28]

I think by and large the military has handled the war in Iraq quite well, they accomplished the mission with minimal casualties among our forces.

I think given that, the military commanders who are in charge of the final operations are well aware and will be as efficient in their duty now, whether they are called Combat Forces or Travelling Secretaries.

~Bang

And thank God were getting out of there.

[ardowling]

Maybe it's just semantics. Nobody holds the illusion that the 50,000 still in Iraq won't face combat situations. It's a strawman argument to suggest that. Obviously, it remains a dangerous place. The primary mission of those troops will not be combat though. I'm surprised that seems to be such a hard concept to grasp for some.

But its not semantics to the Soldiers on the ground, you ever hear of a CLP (Combat Logistics Patrol) the intent of the CLP is to deliver supplies, personnel, or any other thing that must move by MSR to another FOB, it only became "Combat" when you hit an IED or the enemy sprung an ambush. So by your example they were just in a dangerous place and not in combat. How about the two Soldiers who were standing outside the Division HQ when "Rocket Man" decided to drop a couple of 120mm rockets a few hundred meters from them, both died. Tell their families they were not in combat. Anytime a Soldier is in harms way they are in a Combat situation. Semantics my ass, if you don't think this stuff can and will still happen you just don't have a clue.