Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Years More Pain

I was listening to NPR on the way home tonight and they were talking about the logistics and issues around a withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Most Pentagon estimates and those of others in a position to know are that it will take about two years to withdraw the force we now have in Iraq. The environment is hostile and force protection is going to require smaller units transitioning to Kuwait or wherever to catch a ship home. Even though the locals want us the hell out doesn't mean a holiday from insurgents and freedom fighters that want to get one or two last shots at the occupiers. The net is that even if we started tomorrow we couldn't get all our folks out of harms way until sometime mid 2009.
The irony, if you will, of the 2009 date is that by that time GW will be in some cushy board of directors position or the like as will Cheney and they will, without qualm, be living the good life and ignoring the havoc and tragedy they have wrought upon the world. They will have left the tragedy of Iraq for others to clean up. Damn, that galls me just to think about it. I can't imagine how angry it will make me when it becomes reality.

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