Iraq - What We're Leaving Behind

Normally I don't have much use for the mainstream news, and certainly not anything that has to do with the NBC news organization. However ...

I was tooling around last night, bored with Monday Night Football's snooze fest and happened upon Brian Williams' Rock Center. Ted Koppell was presenting his first story for the new show, and it had to do with Obama's mandate that all US troops be out of Iraq by year's end. I only caught a piece of it, so went to NBC's site and watched the whole thing. It is scary.

There's a bit of anti-war politics at the beginning, which is to be expected. However, what follows in part 1 and part 2 should put a chill in all of us. The absolute lunacy of completely abandoning Iraq from a military perspective is clear to see, and it is amazing to see two liberal leaning journalists openly questioning why Obama is doing it.

The videos can be seen at: http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/

Other things concern me as well, most from a military perspective. We are arming the Iraqis with up to date military hardware - in some cases superior to what our front line forces are fielding. Eighteen F-16 Block 52 fighters are on order, with statements being made about an additional 18. This model of the Fighting Falcon is superior to any the USAF now flies. C-130J transports, equal to the newest ones the USAF is receiving. New build T-6 trainers, equal to what our aviators are trained on. M1A1 Abrahms tanks. Weapons systems of all levels, and professional US civilian run training on all of it. We are leaving huge stockpiles of supplies, vehicles, and ammunition, along with billions of dollars of infrastructure - paid for by our tax dollars.

The goal is to allow the Iraqis to stand up to Iran by themselves. The reality is that Iraq and Iran are now closer than at any time since they fought their war. Iran is exerting its influence, and has openly stated that as soon at the US military is gone, they will exert even more influence. The Iraqi military and government are just as corrupt and two faced as the Pakistanis are. Chances are that the two countries will become allies against us, and we may fight our own weapons systems at some point in the future.

Our military forces are still deployed in foreign lands as a result of the outcome of WWII and Korea. We are not still in Vietnam because we lacked the will to win that war, retreated, and lost. Now we abandon a nation that is teetering on the brink of success or failure - as we define those concepts - so a liberal politician can fulfill a campaign promise just in time for the next election cycle. Our enemies are patient - they merely wait for us to give up and leave. It amazes me that anyone is stupid enough to believe we can just walk away while the issue is still in question without begging for the worst possible outcome to occur.

I sincerely hope this does not turn out as I fear it will. It would be very interesting to get a glimpse 10 years into the future and see how this ends up.

Now, Obama is getting ready to do the same thing in Afgthanistan, where the situation is even more tenuous.

Update - Within days of the last US troops' departure, the unraveling of Iraq may have begun. The country's president has issued arrest warrants for the Vice President. He has also issued statements that he may disolve the coalition government that the US had painstakingly put together. Huge suicide blasts in downtown Baghdad. It's very possible that nation will disolve into utter chaos very shortly.

Update II - Related. The Obama Administration announced it will continue pursuing direct negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, making it one of their top goals for 2012. Obama is doing this in spite of objections from the elected Afghanistan government. The supposedly secret initiative was leaked to world wide news outlets.

Let me predict what the bottom line of these negotiations will be, from the Obama perspective:

"Hey, Mister Moolah Moolah. You keep your buddies in check for 2012. Make sure everything is very quiet leading up to my re-coronation in November. Once I'm locked back in for another 4 years, I'll pull our troops out as fast as I can, just like I did in Iraq, and you can do whatever you want. I don't care. Just let me get re-elected before you go nuts."

Am I being cynical ... yeah, I guess. However, I think this is pretty close to what he is wanting, even if he won't state it publicly to us.

Iraqi Motivation

This video was purportedly shot about 6 months ago in Iraq. It has been viewed almost 600,000 times on youtube. The soldier has not been identified. The US Army is distancing itself from this, stating that it is not the way the Army feels about its Iraqi allies.

This guy tells it like it is, how he sees it as someone who is risking his life everyday for people who may be happy to see him dead. I am sure he meant it as motivational, but more than likely it just pissed them off.

If coarse language offends you, don't watch it ...

Now, for comparison, a truly outstanding motivational speech from history ...

Iraqis take their Football Seriously

GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!

A striker from the Buhairat amateur soccer team was streaking towards the opponent's goal, putting on his best moves to beat the goalie, when one of the opposing Sinjar team's fans shot him in the head. Killer defense!

In a later incident, the same Sinjar team was celebrating a 2-1 victory over rival Enana. At the celebration, an off-duty policeman pulled his pistol and starting shooting into the air to add to the revelry. He lost control of the gun, and shot the winning Sinjar goaltender in the head.

A good friend, Outlaw13, is headed back to Iraq soon, for his third tour. I implore him to stay away from the local sports venues - they are the most dangerous parts of the country!

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Going to Jail

Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi's brazen act of throwing his shoes at President Bush at a news conference will cost him three years in jail, an Iraqi court has decided. The clog chucker was facing up to 15 years in prison for assault. The court cited his lack of any criminal record as a factor in deciding on imposing the minimum sentence allowed under Iraqi law.

This A-hole hurled a supreme insult at the very person who gave him the ability to do so.

I have two questions. First, what would have happened if this guy had done this to Saddam, or one of his underlings? He wouldn't have made it out of the building alive. Second, what would have happened to him had this happened on American soil, where the Secret Service was free to act? He'd be in jail for many more years for threatening the life of the President.

Third question (OK, I'll take a little liberty here) - what if this had been Obama the Immaculate rather than President Bush. Would world reaction, and US reaction be different? Would this guy still be a hero to left wingers, kooks, Pelosi, Reid, et al ...

This guy got off incredibly light. He and his family will be set for life, book and TV deals from all over the world will be coming in. Hell, Al Qaeda may even elect him Grand Poobah. All because President Bush had the guts to free his country