President Obama announced today plans to pull all American troops from Iraq by the end of the year, and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston said she applauds the decision.
President Obama announced today plans to pull all American troops from Iraq by the end of the year, and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston said she applauds the decision.
Schakowsky said the decision by President Bush to invade Iraq has cost the lives of over 4,400 American soldiers and cost the American people more than $1 trillion.
“I am grateful.” Schakowsky said, “that members of our armed forces will be home for the holidays and we will not have to endure another year of military action in Iraq.”
Yes – bring them home already
Bring the troops home. We never should've sent them there in the first place. All of these wars have been a massive waste of human life and tax-payer money. The Iraqis were not involved in the 9/11 attacks and were never a threat to our borders. And get this: I'm not a Democrat.
Withdrawal from Iraq a good start
This is a good start, although 4,0000-5,000 mercenaries employed by the State Dept. will still be in Iraq, along with a "significant C.I.A. presence," according to this report in the New York Times. Also, what about the continuing Predator drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and now Somalia? Or those 100 U.S. military advisers sent last week to Uganda? Or the 95,000 U.S. troops still in Afghanistan?
What do the President and Rep. Schakowsky have to say about the net increase in the number of countries where the U.S. is carrying out military aggression? What do they have to say about the fact that, according to the latest figures issued by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are now more U.S. military personnel in foreign countries than in any year of the Bush administration?
There are reports that the
There are reports that the true reason for complete withdrawl is the Iraqi Govt refusing to grant blanket immunity for US troops for crimes against Iraqi citizens (a condition stipulated by US, in talks over 2012 troop levels). They balked, and that was that. (Per "This Is Hell".)
Leaving a small force or advisors in Iraq was not an Option
All governments who have troops in foreigb countries ask those countries to sign SOFA agreements. Iraq told the US that they could not get the leaders to agree to the troops being under just military law and not their Iraqi laws. Therefore the President had to withdraw all troops. I am glad my son was due to return to iraq for 7 months Dec 1st but now he will be with his family. He has been there 3 other times for 30 months. I hope Iraq recovers and it is safe there for all families.