News, John McCain: Early US pull-out from Iraq will cause 'genocide' (middle east, Republicans)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
On the eve of his first overseas visit since becoming the Republican nominee, John McCain has warned that an early withdrawal of US troops from Iraq would lead to "chaos and genocide across the region".
I think this is very likely and then it could get worse in the middleast.I think we will then have to pullout of Afganistan. Lets face it;we are not the sacrificing nation we were for our values and way of life.
As each year passes and we spend another 200 billion dollars in Iraq and lose more men and women the Republicans tell us we can not pull out prematurely. Exactly when will it be time? In ten years, twenty years, fifty years or one hundred years? As the war drags on they keep telling us it is not time yet to leave, when will it be time?
And McCain may be right. However, there's a limit to how long we can stay. At some point in time (and that should be within 12 months), Iraq either has tolearn to stand on its own two feet or some sort of middle eastern coalition has to step in and we have to withdraw.
I realize we have made some huge errors, but nothing like this goes smoothly.
The issue is that the US faces a very serious energy dilemma: in an increasingly competitive world where demand for everything, led by energy, is increasing, right now there are no viable alternatives to fossil fuels for the internal combustion engine, and US residents are as much addicted to their private cars as they are to oil and gasoline.
Even the most promising alternative fuel sources - batteries and fuel cells - are at least ten years away from viable mass production in private motor vehicles.
Now, the question is whether the invasion and occupation of Iraq has been the best strategy for ensuring foreign supply of fossil fuels and, even if it were (questionable), to what extent was the adventure an exercise in ineptness and corruption (probably to a great extent, and the US economy and people as a whole have suffered more than they have benefited).
In this context, hopefully the new president at the least will reduce the level of corruption and I see little difference in how McCain or Clinton would handle, in principle, the situation as it is, though, by any objective criteria of experience, one has to give McCain the edge. In contrast, while Obama has, in principle, a fresh approach and perhaps some interesting ideas, he is indeed an unknown quantity. In the end, though, he too would probably listen to military and energy industry advisers and implement an approach that is not dissimilar that of McBushClint.
Unless there is an amazing breakthrough in fuel cell or battery technology (or something similar), chances are that US troops will be in the Middle East, probably centered in the eastern Arabian peninsula and Mesopotamia, for at least another ten years (US troops have already been in Kuwait for about 17 years).
On the eve of his first overseas visit since becoming the Republican nominee, John McCain has warned that an early withdrawal of US troops from Iraq would lead to "chaos and genocide across the region".
Well, before the US invasion and occupation there was order through political murder and intimidation under dictatorship, perhaps fair enough, perhaps not.
Maybe the two above posters can comment on the fairness of the Saddam regime.
If the US pulls out, the most likely outcome, after a period of greater chaos and murder than the one that reigns now, is that another strong-arm dictatorial regime will emerge in one form or another, both in terms of personnel and geography.
The question then becomes, will the new regime sell oil on the world market according to supply and demand dynamics and who profits?
Any comments?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
