Last US Combat Troops Leave Iraq

[Wiseone]

The last US combat troops in Iraq have just left the country, with the 4th BCT 2nd ID leaving via ground into Kuwait. 50,000 troops remain to continue to train and assist Iraqis and their government at all levels. The move comes a few days early with the offical withdraw date being Aug 31. However Operation Iraqi Freedom will officially end Aug 31 and Operation New Dawn will begin on Sept 1st.

What it means? The last units designed for offensive and peacekeeping operations have withdrawn, the remaining 50,000 are entirely support units with no meaningful offensive or combative capability (at least compared to our combat troops).

It also means that these American troops are now fully at the desposal of the Iraqi government, they cannot operate outside of their baes without approval of the Iraqi government first. So this also means an end all independant US operations in Iraq.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11020270

 

[kaya'08]

Should i be scared or happy? I hope this turns out well. God bless our NATO boys.

 

[LimeLight]

Anyone want to wager how long after we leave their country falls apart again?

 

[RightinNYC]

'Last' U.S. 'Combat' Troops Exit Iraq : The Two-Way : NPR

But as we at NPR and others have reported previously, going forward there will still be U.S. combat troops in Iraq and they will sometimes find themselves shooting at the enemy and being shot at. That would quality as combat by most definitions. So how is it possible to report that the last combat troops are leaving Iraq when there will still be combat troops there? Take this "last combat troops" news with a grain of salt. It's semantics.

The departing 4th Stryker Brigade had a specific combat mission, for instance, make contact with the enemy and destroy it. But most of the 50,000 U.S. troops remaining in Iraq will still be trained combat troops. Their ostensible missions will be the training of Iraqis, force protection, counterterrorism etc. If they are attacked, however, rest assured there will be combat. Indeed, insurgents may very well attack remaining U.S. troops to demonstrate that Iraq is far from stable and that progress is elusive.

...

There are at least two big reasons the Obama Administration and military are pushing hard the line about the the last combat troops coming out Wednesday. The main one is that President Barack Obama wants to redeem his campaign pledge to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, which he has defined as the bad war, and and to redeploy them to Afghanistan, the good war, in his estimation.

 

[Donc]

here ya go.

<The U.S. 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division—the last withdrawing unit of U.S. combat troops in Iraq—is nearing the border into Kuwait early Thursday>

News Headlines

 

[Phantom]

Last United States Combat Troops Leave Iraq

 

[kaya'08]

I wish my brother could come back. It will be a huge relief for thousands of US families that there mama's, papa's, sons and daughters are coming back safetly at last. That war was such a burden for all of us.

 

[cpwill]

well. there we go then.

 

[pbrauer]

We should have never been there in the first place.

 

[cpwill]

man, it doesn't even matter anymore. it's over.

 

[1069]

man, it doesn't even matter anymore. it's over.

It matters to the thousands upon thousands of people who lost loved ones.
And it's not "over".
Not with 50,000 still there.
How can it be "over"?
Besides, they're not really coming "home"; most of them are only coming home long enough to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.

 

[LimeLight]

It matters to the thousands upon thousands of people who lost loved ones.
And it's not "over".
Not with 50,000 still there.
How can it be "over"?
Besides, they're not really coming "home"; most of them are only coming home long enough to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.

More help in Afghanistan means we'll get work done their faster.

 

[1069]

More help in Afghanistan means we'll get work done their faster.

That's debatable.

 

[cpwill]

It matters to the thousands upon thousands of people who lost loved ones.

and that number would include me. honestly that's probably the main reason i was as dedicated as i was; i owed it to them to make sure that their lives hadn't been lost for nothing.

but it is over. the fight is done. the direction determined. there will be shifts here and there along the way, but the course has been dug deep and it will be difficult indeed to fundamentally redirect. we lose far more people to traffic accidents now.

brothers, wherever you are; tell everyone else: we did it. it was long, exausting, painful, it cost us you, and we had to fight half our own damn country along with the enemy, but we did it. rest easy and proud.

just thinking about it all is exausting. dang.

 

[cpwill]

Besides, they're not really coming "home"; most of them are only coming home long enough to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.

HAH, if they're lucky.

 

[Captain America]

Well alrighty then. Let's get on with the inevitable Iraqi civil war that we have been postponing for the last 9 years or so. Y'know, if we woulda let 'em fight it out 5 or 6 years ago, this might already be all over now and we could pay some teachers.

The upcoming news cycles should prove to be most interesting.

Popcorn anyone?

 

[cpwill]

:roll: the "civil war" was a creation of the media and an attempted creation of AQI. but you don't have to 'create' something that is inherent.

 

[American]

Anyone want to wager how long after we leave their country falls apart again?

So the effort of our troops was worthless?

 

[Captain America]

:roll: the "civil war" was a creation of the media and an attempted creation of AQI. but you don't have to 'create' something that is inherent.

Excuse me. Let's get on with the "inherent" Iraqi civil war then.

 

[Cold Highway]

I would like to happy about this but I cant. Our troops are leaving Iraq but will either be injected into Pakistan or Iran.

 

[1069]

I would like to happy about this but I cant. Our troops are leaving Iraq but will either be injected into Pakistan or Iran.

What? Why do you say that?
Are there plans in that direction?

 

[Donc]

I would like to happy about this but I cant. Our troops are leaving Iraq but will either be injected into Pakistan or Iran.

Wrong Stan... Afghanistan is the more likely destination.

 

[cpwill]

Excuse me. Let's get on with the "inherent" Iraqi civil war then.

yeah i'll just go ahead and chalk that up with 'the surge has failed'

 

[cpwill]

What? Why do you say that? Are there plans in that direction?

there are 'plans' in all directions. we probably have a plan for invading Canada, should it become necessary, sitting on a shelf somewhere.

but no, Afghanistan will remain the center of effort for a while now. Iran we could defeat but probably not hold.

 

[Captain America]

yeah i'll just go ahead and chalk that up with 'the surge has failed'

I thought the surge was a sucess?