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Time Is Running Out for Iraq Occupation Deal

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Posted on Oct 21, 2008
Flickr / James Gordon

A Marine Corps convoy rolls through a sandstorm in northern Iraq.

Here’s one way to get U.S. troops out of Iraq: The tediously negotiated status-of-forces agreement between the U.S. and Iraq has met yet another snag. The current legal justification for the occupation of Iraq is about to expire, and the U.S. is eager to pass new guidelines, but the Iraqi cabinet is hitting the brakes.


BBC:

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned of “dramatic consequences” if Washington and Baghdad do not agree a security deal on US forces in Iraq.

He said if there were no Status of Forces Agreement the US would have to “basically stop doing anything”.

Iraq’s cabinet is demanding changes to a draft deal already agreed with Washington that would allow US forces to stay in Iraq until 2011.

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By nrobi, October 22, 2008 at 3:55 pm Link to this comment

Re: Yours Truly, In what world are you living?
Your point about the puppet government of Iraq seeming to stymie the US Status of Forces Agreement is spot on. Yet you seem to be living in the land of make-believe in that everything after the election of Barack Obama, happening is quite to the contrary of what will happen.
In no one’s world will the shrub and his cronies stand trial for the high crimes and misdemeanors of the laws of the US and he will certainly not stand trial in the International Court of Criminal Justice for crimes against humanity. Agreements are being reached right now to absolve the shrub and Darth Vader of any wrongdoing in the lead-up to the Iraq war and the aftermath that has occurred.
Many civilian deaths have occurred because of faulty or non-existent intelligence, the hiring of Blackwater International is one of the biggest follies that this government has ever perpetrated on humanity and yet no one will be held accountable for the crimes which have been committed by this administration.
Yes, in a perfect world the armed forces of the US would be home in less than six months, but as we already know, Barack Obama, has already committed to
sustaining the fight in Afghanistan and taking the fight to the Taleban and Al-Qeada in Pakistan, all this without so much as a how do you do, consultation with the Congress and the Pakistanis.
I am certainly against the war in all its forms, and yet the only people now against the war have no chance of winning the election and doing what they have committed to doing.
Barack Obama is the lesser of two weasels, (thank you Scott Adams), and that is whom I will vote for. A vote for the McCain-Palin ticket, is a vote for the same policies that have gotten us into the mess the world is in now and if they win it will be 10 times worse, for then the Republicans will have a chance to hold the White House and Congress for another 8-10 years.
Let us hope against hope that the Obama-Biden ticket wins the general election and starts the America, I know and love on a path of peace and health for all the world.

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By hippy pam, October 22, 2008 at 7:15 am Link to this comment

TIME IS RUNNING OUT for “ole bullsh*t” to leave his legacy for the world to MARVEL ABOUT….To Bad we can"t leave IRAQ to the IRAQUIS and Bring Our Troops Home.TO BAD WE CAN’T TAKE BACK THE LAST 8 YEARS….WHAT WOULD WE-THE PEOPLE-ALLOW DONE IF WE HAD A DO OVER?????????

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By peacenow, October 21, 2008 at 7:30 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It pleases me to hear that the Iraqi govt is able to strongarm the US for once.  It is now time for the US to come home and deal with the domestic issues, and let the partially destroyed iraq find a way to rebuild….I only hope our ignorance and excess military might did not destroy the nation of iraq.

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By yours truly, October 21, 2008 at 6:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The puppet Iraqi government is pretending to stymie the status-of-forces agreement so as not to appear too much like puppets to the Iraqi people.  This tactic won’t work, though, because repeated polling shows that Iraqis want the U.S. troops out now, as do most Americans.  After Barack Obama is elected and takes office, what’ll happen?  Our troops will be out within six months, that’s what.  And the former Iraqi puppets?  They’ll be flown out and given asylum in the U.S.  As to the fate of George Bush, there’ll be a successful movement to ship him off to the International Court of Criminaol Justice, there to be put on trial for his crimes against humanity.  And the verdict?  Guilty as charged.

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