SageTree

Today I'm overwhelmed with Gladness, Relief.... and also Sadness.


But more than anything I am thankful that it's over.
Our friends and family are coming home.



I pray they have an easy transition, finding meaning on their native soil.
And I pray for the people of the region that they too have a smooth transition into life w/out a heavy US presence.



I remember those years ago, each day reading the paper, the dread I had at what I believe was a certain conflict...

And today that pain and sorrow is lighter....
But still present for those we've lost in form and those who are lost in mind from directly being part of this event.



Take a moment today and pause in silence.

YOU are also a victim of war in someway and YOU deserve some honour, respect and loving-kindness as well.



Many blessings to the World.

Peace be with you All,
SageTree

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Waves

Mission accomplished?

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On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow

Jewish Pork

There was a mission?

Roach

I swear I replied to this thread already ...?

There will still be 16,000 "civilian contractors" housed in the "largest newly constructed embassy in the world".

That does not include and "civilian security contractors" who will also be there (numbers of which are not being disclosed) .

And the fact that the top military official in that area, stated that if the embassy were to be over run, there are sufficient troops remaining in the area, to insure evacuation of those 16,000...because they feel that the Iraqis are incapable of doing so currently.

and I believe there's still a war in Afghanistan we have "combat troops" in.

Yea , I wouldn't be calling mission accomplished just yet.

This does not include a current buildup of troops in the persian gulf, planned to be a contingency force should anything get stired up in Iran. (perhaps our next target, along with the entire northern portion of Africa.

At least admitting Irag's invasion was a huge mistake would be a start.

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לזיין את הקופים

Jewish Pork

So you're saying that our mission was to keep Iran from making a power move on that entire region? I was satisfied with the job Iraq and Saddam Hussein was doing before we invaded.

fenderbender

man idk how i feel aboutt this.


like yeah it is obviously a positive thing, less people are being put in harms way n shit...

but it feels like such a Fake positive thing. idk



we the people didnt stop the war or anything. This is just like "phase 2" of whatever their plan is.
idk

Edit: Great song tho sage lol

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Imagine there's no heaven,It's easy if you try

<3

The Rev

Nothing is ever straight forward anymore.



The Rev

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John F. Kerry

definately a crazy chapter closed.

i was reading a poll the other day that said americans view of iraq was 5% favorable from 1991 to 2003 like almost consistently, then after we went to war it immediately jumped to 40% favorable, and then pretty much mirrored the other partisan polls we have ...

and the movie three kings with ice cube where they make americans feel bad and guitly for not doing more to stop saddam and prevent him from continuing to torture his own people.... the world is most certainly a different place today than it was before the first gulf war....actually thinking about it, its almost like we went all the way from 'fuck that shit let them deal with it themselves' to 'team america world police' and now we're back at 'fuck em they are brown people in a far away land' , again.... i wonder when the liberal compassion and republican hawkishness will combine again... maybe to take out that shithead ahmadinejad.

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Nasa under Obama

Roach

and don't be surprised next summer when the slogan is "back to Iraq".

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Suliman

Dhomnley

Sage, can the melodrama. You are being naive if you believe this announcement is anything but bullshit to appease the American populace.

Mafoo

i have a 100 bucks that says the next "war" is with iran.


i actually made the bet with a friend

__________________
PLUR
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return

Jewish Pork

This is all speculation on my part; but I'll just fire off a few things that I think about the whole situation.

I feel that history will show that our wars in the Middle East did a fantastic job of devastating that entire region. All we managed to do was topple one regime and create a power vacuum that another country (Iran) will be able to take advantage of.

You could also make an argument that toppling the Hussein regime allowed for the "Arab Spring" to happen. The balance of power is completely gone at this point. We have 3-4 large countries that have a power vacuum that's up for grabs. We have no way of knowing or guaranteeing that the future governments in these countries will be better or favorable for the region. We have a very dangerous situation on our hands.

Who knows what countries may want to take advantage of their neighbor's weak position and make a power grab. I think that Iran will come out on top, with a lot more influence, in the Middle East than we ever wanted them to have; due to the fact that they'll have a nuclear weapon within the next 5 years (if they don't already have one now).

I'm not saying that the situation will undoubtedly end up unfavorably for the entire region; but it kind of just seems like our strategy was to shake things up and see how the dice land. Just kind of seems like we spent a lot of time, money, and lives on a strategy that guaranteed little to no reward.

The situation we're in over there right now appears to be hopeless. Occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, at this point, is doing no good; and just leaving could possibly be even worse. My final judgement is that we started a war without foresight of the residual effects.

Roach

It's a toss up.

North Africa is where we recently sent a whole mess military advisors..

Pakistan is looking good, since they're buddies now with the taliban, and saying fuck off to the US.

Iran has been on the lunatic fringe for a long long time.

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fenderbender

god forbid we fuck with the complete warzone directly south of us tho...

__________________
Imagine there's no heaven,It's easy if you try

<3

Roach

not enough oil to make it worth it.

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Jewish Pork

Iran developing into a problem for us is the result of us invading Iraq. Why are we creating our own problems?

Jewish Pork

If you think someone in a position of power isn't getting rich off the, "war on drugs," then I have beach front property to sell you in Nebraska.

Cerpin Taxt

Iran developed into a problem when the CIA removed its democratically elected Prime Minister because he wasn't compatible with Britain's economic interests in 1953.

You're still right though. They are a problem the US created.

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-Alan Watts

Jewish Pork

They weren't much of a problem after the 1980's when we armed Iraq to the teeth. After that, Iraq became a problem. We invade Iraq because they became a problem; and Iran becomes a problem again. Why can't we just stay the fuck out of the ME?


I know, I know... Oil...

But we have enough NG to be energy sufficient for a while. I don't know why we inflict these problems on ourselves. It's like we want to be imperialistic just to spite the odds. =\