Obama marks end of Iraq war

[Jimbuna]

Let us hope it is the end and we can all get out.

US President Barack Obama has marked the end of the Iraq war by applauding the "extraordinary achievement" of US troops in a conflict he firmly opposed.
In a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he paid tribute to the soldiers who served and died in the war, and their families.
The last US soldiers are expected to withdraw from Iraq within days.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16186136

[Platapus]

If President Obama did not land, unnecessarily in a jet fighter, on an Aircraft Carrier, that had been turned so that the camera did not show how close it was to the shore; and if President Obama did not jump out wearing a bag as if he were something other than cargo; and unless there is a big sign saying Mission Accomplished, it does not mean a thing.

[Skybird]

Lebanon 2.0.

And the rise of Muktadr Al-Sadr to even greater influence than ever before, I predict. Some years ago I predicted that he would pull back and just wait in retreat until the Americans pull out, and he did. In the past two years, he has returned in the meaning of having established a more and more public profile again. He also has spend the years to boost his relgious authority. Now, his time has come. He already is more popular than he was ever before.

Obama noted that 202 ParaTroopers died in the War effort.
I don't know what that means to anyone else?
But that means alot to me as a ParaTrooper from days gone by.
I can not care less about what happens after We are out of that area.
I only hope We stay out should crap hit the fan.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Lebanon 2.0.

And the rise of Muktadr Al-Sadr to even greater influence than ever before, I predict. Some years ago I predicted that he would pull back and just wait in retreat until the Americans pull out, and he did. In the past two years, he has returned in the meaning of having established a more and more public profile again. He also has spend the years to boost his relgious authority. Now, his time has come. He already is more popular than he was ever before.

You did tell people that. And a lot of people told you that you didn't know what you were talking about. But you were right in the long run.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by privateer

Obama noted that 202 ParaTroopers died in the War effort.
I don't know what that means to anyone else?
But that means alot to me as a ParaTrooper from days gone by.
I can not care less about what happens after We are out of that area.
I only hope We stay out should crap hit the fan.

Ditto that Jeff

Originally Posted by Skybird

Lebanon 2.0.

And the rise of Muktadr Al-Sadr to even greater influence than ever before, I predict. Some years ago I predicted that he would pull back and just wait in retreat until the Americans pull out, and he did. In the past two years, he has returned in the meaning of having established a more and more public profile again. He also has spend the years to boost his relgious authority. Now, his time has come. He already is more popular than he was ever before.

On this you'll probably soon be found to be correct but I only hope the west let them get on with it this/next time.

[AVGWarhawk]

Pulling out.....for now.....

[Dowly]

That's what she said

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Dowly

That's what she said

Only you could come up with a response like that!

[August]

Originally Posted by privateer

Obama noted that 202 ParaTroopers died in the War effort.
I don't know what that means to anyone else?
But that means alot to me as a ParaTrooper from days gone by.
I can not care less about what happens after We are out of that area.
I only hope We stay out should crap hit the fan.

[MH]

Cool speech for ending war-only in USA

[Oberon]

Wonder how many of the poor sods will get redeployed to Afghanistan...

[August]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Wonder how many of the poor sods will get redeployed to Afghanistan...

Not many because we're drawing down there as well. We'd probably have left already but Obama doesn't want the Karzai regime to crumble like a house of cards before he runs for reelection. So like Nixon did 40 years earlier in Vietnam he's deliberately keeping them there long enough so he's not trying to run against pictures like this:

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by August

Not many because we're drawing down there as well. We'd probably have left already but Obama doesn't want the Karzai regime to crumble like a house of cards before he runs for reelection. So like Nixon did 40 years earlier in Vietnam he's deliberately keeping them there long enough so he's not trying to run against pictures like this:

Yeah, it is a bit like that.

Reminds me of a quote from one of the many times we got tangled up in Afghanistan:

"[It was] a war begun for no wise purpose, carried on with a strange mixture of rashness and timidity, brought to a close after suffering and disaster, without much glory attached either to the government which directed, or the great body of troops which waged it. Not one benefit, political or military, was acquired with this war. Our eventual evacuation of the country resembled the retreat of an army defeated."

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by August

Not many because we're drawing down there as well. We'd probably have left already but Obama doesn't want the Karzai regime to crumble like a house of cards before he runs for reelection. So like Nixon did 40 years earlier in Vietnam he's deliberately keeping them there long enough so he's not trying to run against pictures like this:

August, this picture came to my mind when I first read of the war coming to a close in Iraq.