Iraq War is over (?)

[Blackhawk2001]

I read a book that was about the DMZ. I will have to go find it but it said something about the casualty rate on the DMZ was all most as bad as Vietnam during the 60's.

Being in an Air Cav unit, we didn't have much to do with the "lowly crunchies", so I never really met any of the infantry who patrolled the "Z". We did hear about firefights a couple times, usually because they resulted in alerts that had us launching aircraft to get them off the airfield. After the first month I stopped worrying about alerts until they started issuing us .38 ammo...

We did have a couple major incidents while I was there. Probably the one that brought us closest to actually shooting was when an MP major got stomped by a half-dozen NK guards at Panmunjon. Fortunately, our MPs got to him in time to save his life, but he was pretty busted up. The 8th Army CO had us parading up and down the Z with 17 lb rockets in the pods of the Cobras (because the warheads could be seen outside the rocket pods), just DARING the NKs to fire on them...

The other major incident was the discovery of three enormous tunnels under the Z. One of them had a narrow-gauge rail down the middle, and all were large enough to march 8 troops abreast through them.

 

[USMC_0311]

"lowly crunchies"

 

[Regionnus Rattis]

Iraq is too weak to stand on it's own for any length of time...we'll be back soon enough. Especially if everyone allows Iran to continue with it nuke program and it's backing of terrorism in the Middle East through Syria. They'll move in and strike Iraq, since the basic geography of Iraq today is Arab and not Persian. With their oil and Iraq's oil, they will have huge price influence on oil. The Saudis will attack Iran since the Iranians aren't Arab and things will get ugly from there. That will probably be start of some sort of SHTF scenario...then we gotta go back in.

 

[spearheadersarge]

Been there twice and don't want to go again! There isn't going to be a political end to the situation. You got the Kurds in the north, The Shia's in the center around Bahgdad, and the Sunni's in the west. Shia's have the population to dominate but the Sunni's are masters of terrorism. The Kurds would like nothing better than to make a homeland out of the north and maybe a little slice of Turkey as well. I bet we have to go back in in 5 yrs or less.

 

[ihateiraq]

"lowly crunchies"

 

[Libertarian01]

To All,

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud on this, but...

Let me take you back to May 1st of 2003, when we are all seven (7) years younger than we are today.

At that time our beloved leader then exclaimed, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" and told us there was to be an "end to major combat operations in Iraq." (paraphrase)

Now here we are are about 2,677 days LATER and we still have 50k+ troops in Iraq.

This is a serious case of the sunk cost mentality, where folks hold onto a dying concept due to how much has already been poured into it. Since we don't want to ever waste anything we keep dumping assets after a dead horse hoping to beat life into it.

I was never in support of conflict in Iraq and I 100% supported combat operations in Afghanistan.

The tragedy here is beyond my comprehension. Tens of thousands of US service men and women have sacrificed so much over so long. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of service families have been affected. Our economic strength has been weakened. Above all of that millions of Iraqi's have had theirs lives lost or family members lost all in a vain attempt to prosecute our, "mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." see: President Discusses Beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Well, golly. This doesn't even begin to address the fact that the current government of Iraq is dysfunctional and corrupt. The only way out of chaos is through the chaos.

I would love to be able to help everyone everywhere. I truly would. I just think we need to help pull ourselves out of a giant fiscal manure pile first. If we are weak we cannot help anyone.

Kind Regards,

Doug

PS - Oh yeah, and everyone have a great Labor Day!

 

[SavageEagle]

Well here's an idea for Iraq.

Instead of trying to set up a government based off our system, how about we let them choose their own?

OR

Set it up where each tribe has their equal say in government? Each tribe, each province, each region, and then a Prime Minister. Sounds like a better foundation than Sunnis vs Shiite.

Just a thought.

 

[1032JBT]

I work with a guy on my squad who's deployment to Iraq doesn't even start till January 2011, I understand it may not be considered a "combat" deployment but yeah.........we aint done there.

 

[Ogre]

To All,

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud on this, but...

Let me take you back to May 1st of 2003, when we are all seven (7) years younger than we are today.

At that time our beloved leader then exclaimed, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" and told us there was to be an "end to major combat operations in Iraq." (paraphrase)

Now here we are are about 2,677 days LATER and we still have 50k+ troops in Iraq.

This is a serious case of the sunk cost mentality, where folks hold onto a dying concept due to how much has already been poured into it. Since we don't want to ever waste anything we keep dumping assets after a dead horse hoping to beat life into it.

I was never in support of conflict in Iraq and I 100% supported combat operations in Afghanistan.

The tragedy here is beyond my comprehension. Tens of thousands of US service men and women have sacrificed so much over so long. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of service families have been affected. Our economic strength has been weakened. Above all of that millions of Iraqi's have had theirs lives lost or family members lost all in a vain attempt to prosecute our, "mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." see: President Discusses Beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Well, golly. This doesn't even begin to address the fact that the current government of Iraq is dysfunctional and corrupt. The only way out of chaos is through the chaos.

I would love to be able to help everyone everywhere. I truly would. I just think we need to help pull ourselves out of a giant fiscal manure pile first. If we are weak we cannot help anyone.

Kind Regards,

Doug

PS - Oh yeah, and everyone have a great Labor Day!

Good post, I agree, and happy labor day weekend to you to!
rep'd

 

[Blackhawk2001]

"lowly crunchies"

Hey Guys! the words were in quotations for a reason. So I was young and dumb....

 

[Srtsi4wd]

The Iraq War is over, at least that is what the Commander in Chief said in his unpresidential address tonight.

I feel tonight's speech was mostly political posturing. Do you guys think we will truly end our affairs in Iraq, and if not, to what extent will the U.S. remain in Iraq?

Is there any legitimate reason that any presence should remain?


Your thoughts?

As long as there is oil under the sand we will be there.

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