Path Out Of Iraq - Nearly 3000 Dead Troops Later?

[HARDCORE]

More of the same - with a different twist, was the order of the day as I (today) watched an esteemed group of political has-beens (their descriptive not mine), discuss ways to extricate our troops from the region!

A panel of ten former movers and shakers (five Democrats and five Republicans), came up with a plethora of 79 recommendations, geared (they say), to get us out of the mess in Iraq. Key among these recommendations was the training of the Iraqi military to take care of their own problems? ?So what in the Hell have we been doing for the last three years?? It was my understanding that we were there to get Hussein and bin Laden, and then train the Iraqis to handle their own excrement?

This over-educated and over-paid gaggle of elder statesmen had no sooner presented their (so-called) recommendations, when they were confronted by a question from the media - to wit they admitted that they had absolutely no idea if their plan would even work! ?In other words, like everyone else in government, it seems they were just playing for time and talking to hear to themselves talk??

Now correct me if I am wrong, but did not many in government, during the Korean War, refer to our gallant forces as ?Policing Units?? And in Vietnam, were not our troops (in the beginning) called ?Advisors!?

Now the likes of the honorable Hamilton and Baker (and 8 others), want to refer to our troops in Iraq etc., as trainers - almost 3000 of which now lay dead (not counting the thousands of wounded).

In my opinion, letting the Iraqis handle their own mess will unfortunately result in the same outcome as Korea, Vietnam and Somalia? As hurtful as the reality is, the indigenous personnel of these nations just can?t seem to get the job done, and we know it!!

I also heard the term ?Change in Mission as of 2008? used? Does this mean that it will be status quo until that point in time? How many more of our troops will die or be maimed between now and then? Men and women too, who have faced the fact that a pullout with no real resolution may very well be the final outcome?

Did we have to intercede in Iraq (?) - I believe that we did! But then I also know that when the Iraqis and Iranians were knocking off each other but a short time ago, maybe we should have continued to let them do it!

I have heard it said that ?the enemy of my enemy is my friend?? To this I respond - ?Bull Hockey!? We have no real friends in that region, just temporary allies in my opinion!!

VERITAS