Islamists capture Fallujah

[Admiral Yi]

So are you saying that they needed more....diplomacy? 

[Jacob]

After all the effort the US and allies put into Iraq and it's coming to this mess. The US did not handle leaving well at all, too much politics to make sure to leave at nearly any cost. I don't want the US to go back in, but after all the lives, injuries and money put in there had to be a much better plan for leaving Iraq and in better condition. Push and bargain harder for a Status of Forces Agreement, as is done everywhere the US has troops. Iraq certainly needed the US, and had to know it!

Sec State Kerry now says it's Iraq's issue, that the US and the world told them that it was all up to them or some such blather, but come on, that smacks of trying to deflect from the mistake of how the US/allies left and it makes US leaders look foolish and impotent. To top it all off Iran has gained huge influence there.

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

[DGuller]

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

I don't know, I was too busy nursing my war boner to listen to such stuff.

[Razgovory]

After all the effort the US and allies put into Iraq and it's coming to this mess. The US did not handle leaving well at all, too much politics to make sure to leave at nearly any cost. I don't want the US to go back in, but after all the lives, injuries and money put in there had to be a much better plan for leaving Iraq and in better condition. Push and bargain harder for a Status of Forces Agreement, as is done everywhere the US has troops. Iraq certainly needed the US, and had to know it!

Sec State Kerry now says it's Iraq's issue, that the US and the world told them that it was all up to them or some such blather, but come on, that smacks of trying to deflect from the mistake of how the US/allies left and it makes US leaders look foolish and impotent. To top it all off Iran has gained huge influence there.

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

It was.  The "Iraq is now a mess and Iran gains from it", ship sailed long, long ago.  You know what Iraq needs?  Saddam Hussein.

[fhdz]

After all the effort the US and allies put into Iraq and it's coming to this mess. The US did not handle leaving well at all, too much politics to make sure to leave at nearly any cost. I don't want the US to go back in, but after all the lives, injuries and money put in there had to be a much better plan for leaving Iraq and in better condition. Push and bargain harder for a Status of Forces Agreement, as is done everywhere the US has troops. Iraq certainly needed the US, and had to know it!

Sec State Kerry now says it's Iraq's issue, that the US and the world told them that it was all up to them or some such blather, but come on, that smacks of trying to deflect from the mistake of how the US/allies left and it makes US leaders look foolish and impotent. To top it all off Iran has gained huge influence there.

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

It was.  The "Iraq is now a mess and Iran gains from it", ship sailed long, long ago.  You know what Iraq needs?  Saddam Hussein.

It's true, which sucks.

[Ed Anger]

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

I don't know, I was too busy nursing my war boner to listen to such stuff.

Stop stealing my stchick.

[DGuller]

I thought your boner was of the murder variety, or did you get your hands on other boners as well?

[Ed Anger]

War is murder.

[fhdz]

Therefore: boners = boners.

[KRonn]

After all the effort the US and allies put into Iraq and it's coming to this mess. The US did not handle leaving well at all, too much politics to make sure to leave at nearly any cost. I don't want the US to go back in, but after all the lives, injuries and money put in there had to be a much better plan for leaving Iraq and in better condition. Push and bargain harder for a Status of Forces Agreement, as is done everywhere the US has troops. Iraq certainly needed the US, and had to know it!

Sec State Kerry now says it's Iraq's issue, that the US and the world told them that it was all up to them or some such blather, but come on, that smacks of trying to deflect from the mistake of how the US/allies left and it makes US leaders look foolish and impotent. To top it all off Iran has gained huge influence there.

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

It was certainly a possibility obviously. But it was in reasonably stable condition, not so much under Iranian influence, and the worst of the radical elements had been chased out or put down. So I think it's quite valid to say that the US could have done much better as the Iraqi occupation wound down. It's more like making excuses for failure to wash our hands of something we put so much effort, blood and money into to let it go down the tubes.

[Ed Anger]

Therefore: boners = boners.

Correct!

[DGuller]

After all the effort the US and allies put into Iraq and it's coming to this mess. The US did not handle leaving well at all, too much politics to make sure to leave at nearly any cost. I don't want the US to go back in, but after all the lives, injuries and money put in there had to be a much better plan for leaving Iraq and in better condition. Push and bargain harder for a Status of Forces Agreement, as is done everywhere the US has troops. Iraq certainly needed the US, and had to know it!

Sec State Kerry now says it's Iraq's issue, that the US and the world told them that it was all up to them or some such blather, but come on, that smacks of trying to deflect from the mistake of how the US/allies left and it makes US leaders look foolish and impotent. To top it all off Iran has gained huge influence there.

Wasn't that the prediction right when the US went in?

It was certainly a possibility obviously. But it was in reasonably stable condition, not so much under Iranian influence, and the worst of the radical elements had been chased out or put down. So I think it's quite valid to say that the US could have done much better as the Iraqi occupation wound down. It's more like making excuses for failure to wash our hands of something we put so much effort, blood and money into to let it go down the tubes.

Yes, we should definitely flush more effort, blood, and money down the toilet, so that it wouldn't seem that the effort, blood, and money we already spent was flushed down the toilet.

[Siege]

War is murder.

I disagree. Murder is killing your fellow citizens.

Politicians have extended the term to cover enemy non-combatants, even though the enemy have not extended such to our civilians.
But we are American Soldiers and we fight how and where we are told, and win where we fight.

[KRonn]

I didn't say we should flush more blood and money down the toilet! Leaving Iraq could have been done much better, to try for success rather than wring our hands while things fail. Just as some ideas, a US presence to train Iraqi troops and retain some influence in the country as an ally, would have gone a long way to help in the aftermath. And I'm sure the US leadership could have come up with good ideas. Rather than flush down toilet all we did in the first place. The US has many troops in many countries, still in the Balkans even.

[Razgovory]

I didn't say we should flush more blood and money down the toilet! Leaving Iraq could have been done much better, to try for success rather than wring our hands while things fail. Just as some ideas, a US presence to train Iraqi troops and retain some influence in the country as an ally, would have gone a long way to help in the aftermath. And I'm sure the US leadership could have come up with good ideas. Rather than flush down toilet all we did in the first place. The US has many troops in many countries, still in the Balkans even.

Keeping more troops in the country will result in more troops dying there.