Obama Ends the Iraq War

[monsoon]

Obama went to NC today to announce how the war in Iraq will be ended. Finally, some leadership on this issue.

[Neo]

I won't say whether I believe in the war or if I think it was a mistake, but no one can question how remarkably costly it has become for the US to continue given the dire economic needs in our own country. I'm glad someone is putting an end to the sheer amount of money we're pumping over there each week.

I'm curious how much money will be spend in Afghanistan though. How much of a reduction will we really see or will most of it just be moved over to Afghanistan?

[Gard]

There was already a deadline for a complete pullout in place for 2011, so I don't see the announcement as anything new. Anyways, maybe now we can finally focus on what the focus should have been all along, Afghanistan.

[caterpillar2]

Big development since election. Obama will keep a force of 50,000 in Iran indefinately. Golly gee, he has "changed" his mind, decided to go with Bushs' drawdown plan and retain troops. Somebody must have informed him what was really going on in the world.

[monsoon]

....Golly gee, he has "changed" his mind, decided to go with Bushs' drawdown plan and retain troops.

[sean]

we're not leaving iraq! get over it; we went there to get a seat at the opec table.

weapons of mass destruction.... yeah, thats a good one.

[Charlotteman]

Pakistan will probably be the world's next hot spot. It's good that Western troops will be next door in Afghanistan.

The tenuous Pakistani government (and that's putting it mildly) has practically turned over parts of the country to religious extremists. The leadership is in chronic disarray---who knows how long this current government will last. Being a puppet of the Americans is no guarantee in Pakistan these days.

Troops out of Iraq, and into Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan will probably make Iraq look like Kindergarten.