this question is for republicans: what can the united states gain by keeping the military in iraq?............
820164
SAddam had nothing to do with our being there to begin with. Our IDIOT president saw an opportunity to IMPRESS his DADDY because SAddam tried to have his dad killed back in the day- Remember, there were NO WMD's at all. NONE. We should not have gone there- and everyone seems to have forgotten that Osama is the one who admitted to the 911 attacks, yet we apparently dont care about finding him. When theres all this oil to be stolen by occupation in Iraq. Does anyone ever wonder how OPEN TO ATTACK having so many of our military in Iraq that we have made the United States? We have so little soldiers left to protect our own country that we couldnt provide support to help out victims of the Katrina Hurricane until it was already too late. It is ONLY a matter of time before the UNITED STATES becomes INVADED and OCCUPIED, and you think Im kidding or crazy? We couldnt even know when a CHINESE SUB was tailing one of our ships until THE CHINESE decided to let us know about it. We are overconfident and vunerable to attack. Just wait and see when the shit truly hits the fan and you find that it takes a week or more for the US to get its troops back in the US from IRAQ to protect its own soil. The chinese army outnumbers us 4 to 1- and most of our army isnt even in our own country. Do the math.
385204
Even if we pull our combat troops out today, the Iraqui military is still going to need logistical support for a long time. American troops will be there for at least a decade.
259811
He wants to increase it because the men who fight for our country deserve it.  Also he has not decreased any of the active duty or reserves benefits.  God bless the USA!!!!
878661
News flash. Bush is still in control of what happens in Iraq. He is going to fight kicking and screaming against a withdrawal. He will lose, but he will fight it. There is no face to save at this point. Bush and his ardent supporters are the only people who still think the whole Iraq thing was a good idea, and we can "win", whatever that means. The republicans need to realize if they keep letting this president get his way with Iraq, they don't stand a chance in the next presidential election. He is in the process of sinking their ship in the desert.
48676
Do you think that the commanders of the armed forces did a good job when they told bush before the war that they could totally secure, rebuild, and trasition Iraq to democracy with less then 200 billion dollars?\n\nHello!  The latest projections are 1-2 trillion dollars.  If you don't think that is a rediculously huge blunder on an unbelievable scale then I will tell you right now, forget a doctor, I will do all family's surgery for half price!  Even if I kill you you probably would think I'm doing a great job!\n\nEither the military totally screwed up this war or bush did, but you can't say that this was a military success.  We spend a billion for every $1000 that the enemy spends.  For that money the terrorist should be doing the half-time show at the superbowl where they unfurl a big "I'm sorry" banner and kill themselves to music.\n\nI wish those idiots had never sent our soldiers there.  I hope they can figure out how to get them back without causing a civil war or doubling the size of iran.\n\nAs for getting behind the commander in chief at wartime, you are a HORRIBLE leader if you bring your contry to war with only half the country behind you.  We liberals opposed the war when those soldiers were at home with their families.  To blame us for anything is the height of gall.
118212
Not at present as;\n\nA) IRAQ will now provide much of the oil the USA wants, at a price it likes. Therefore it can afford some disruption to oil supplies from Saudia Arabia - it won't cause panic buying in the US.\n\nB) The are easier targets which, if invaded/attacked, will restore US confidence in its armed forces and help get a Republican re-elected to the White House.\n\nNope - no attack on IRAN in the near future.
841723
That won't work.  Their goal is to create a Muslim world by force.\n\nWe are winning the war in Iraq.  Over 500,000 Iraqis will be active and trained as police and soldiers by the end of this year.  This is the total amount the U.S. thinks Iraq needs.  50% of Iraq will be handed back to Iraq's government by the end of this year.  I think Iraq's government will have 75% of their land back by the end of the second quarter and 100% of their land back by the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008.  I think there might be a small group of U.S. soldiers remaining till 2009.\n\nThe general reconstruction efforts are still ongoing.  Iraq requires more electricity because they are using more electricity.  This is a common thing in third world countries.  Even California gets brown outs from too much power use.  The U.S. telephone land lines can only hold 20% of the possible calls.  In Iraq, cell phones are frequent and they have satellite dishes.  They also frequently use electric generators.  \n\n"3,100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38  new schools have been built in Iraq. there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad\nstations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities."\nhttp://www.admissionsboards.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1374
400972
The are left unsecured in Iraq for the insurgents to pick and use against us... \n\nIt's a brilliant strategy to keep America "occupied" in Iraq while the rest of the world is busy building nuclear weapons... Plus, they get the benefit of draining the U.S. treasury because of Iraq and oil!!!
852511
Obviously you have valuable experience that would help in the current conflict.\n\nUS troops should be open to hearing other perspectives.\n\nHowever, the real problem is NOT with the troops, it's with the President who put them in Iraq in the first place, and who fails to give them the support to do their job right.\n\nIt's the President who really should have listened to the other countries in the UN years ago, who said give the weapons inspectors time to do their job. But no, he had to invade, and there were no wmds.\n\nPlease don't blame the US troops - they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. Blame the Americans for electing Bush again, and blame bush for not listening to the experience of other countries.\n\nNow that we have voted in a Democratic congress and senate, things will change rapidly.
1166943
I"m not a Republican, but I can tell you that they won't be pleased.  Basically, this just goes to show you that the three or four years we've been in Iraq have done exactly what the Dems thought it would...establish a new government opposed to American interference in that government while also increasing anti-American sentiment across the globe.  This amnesty for those who kill Americans will be a big kick in the arse for the Republican Party.
151943
if you take all our troops home right now what would happen to the fledgling democracy in irag? or afganistan?\nI am not a demorcrat or a republican......to many brain cells still living... but  I have enough sense to realize that if we withdraw today....thousand more innocents will die...I am torn.....I dont think that even one more american should lose thier life in that region...  we cant force democracy on people.....they dont seem to understand it or want it.......look at palistine.....years of fight for freedom .....they are there and what do they do? vote for the monsters that attack innocents.......what the hell....? being a pacifist is also not the anwser....those folks dont respect weakness.... think if we send a message loud and clear you kill one americian.... journalist...and the pain begins......will get thier attention.....I am rambling again.......and to all the haters of republicans...\nlook what the demorcrat party has done to Mass...and Ca..\n I have been to both states...live there...if you are a working person......you are taxed out yur u know what...?\nwhy ? entitlements for the masses who vote for demorcrats.......but it cant be paid for.......so thier solution...taxes taxes taxes.......soon the business move... from cali to nevada ..arizona ect... mass.... well I am rambling sorry......hit a couple of nerves.. Peace
726502
We could pull out and let them dip into a civil war, or stay there and let our troops endure the war.  We should not have gone there in the first place, and if we felt we had no choice, we shouldn't have bombed them back to the stone age.\n\nAny way you look at it, the Iraqi's lose.
123185
It just won't happen as long as republicans are in charge. They are afraid that you might get something for nothing. What a shame it is that billions can be spent on a dumb war and we can't take care of our own. I know that you paid taxes for those 25 years and deserve the help.
933520
The insertion of troops was a major mistake. The entire region under Islamic influence from Morocco to Indonesia is far less stable as a result. The U.S. is increasingly seen as dictatorial by increasing numbers of people around the world. Our economy has been vastly weakened. We do not have enough troops available should other emergencies develop. The Civil War, denied by the Bush administration but acknowledged as being fully underway by the rest of the world, deepens daily and leaves American troops there as sitting ducks. There can be no victory in Iraq. Just as the British learned after World War I, the Iraqis will not be conquered. There is too much value underground (oil) and too much division above-ground. The only result of continued occupation will be increasing governmental debt for the U.S. and more dead and injured American soldiers. Military contractors such as Halliburton are being enriched. The Bush administration has no idea of what they mean by "victory", nor does Tony Blair in England.
361872
We stay the course.  The Iraqi security forces are growing and gaining experience.  The Iraqi economy is growing and the enemy is despised by the Iraqi people.\n\nThe only way we can lose now is if the anti-war movement stabs our soldiers in the back - again.
697581
We will be there until the Government is stable and their military is effective.  The best way to succeed in this is to increase troop presence, but good luck with that...\n\nIf we had sent the proper ammount of troops in the first place and the administration listened to the Generals on the ground, this would have been nearly over...
143274
I think your "question" is more of an editorial than a question, but here is my cynical prediction:  Iraq is not Bush's highest priority--Republican Party power is far and away his highest priority.  If the American voters don't perceive progress in Iraq by midsummer 2006 and Karl Rove's ultra-sophisticated polling detects it's hurting Republicans in the November elections, a pull-out will begin.  Before the election there will be small but massively publicized pull-outs, and the "liberal" press will cover them heroically, like Americans coming home from World War II.  Some major troop reductions will be announced for late 2006 and 2007, and there will likely be a freeze on rotations, like no units that have done a tour in Iraq will be sent back.  All this will be orchestrated around the election for maximum news coverage.  After the election I wouldn't be surprised if the pull-out schedule is delayed.