WTF are we STILL in Iraq????

[guardian]

http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm


U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ; $900 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through Sept 2010.

Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money

Missing - $1 billion in tractor equipment

Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings

Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion

Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion

Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion



TROOPS IN IRAQ Total 85,000 U.S. troops as of February 28, 2010. All other nations have withdrawn their troops.

U.S. Troop Casualties - 4,413 US troops

Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualities at over 600,000.


Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000

[Bigmack]

1. Damned if I know...

apparently the US oil operators were pretty much frozen out of the oil contracts. Seems like our work there is done!

We have fucked up the country, destabilized the region, killed lots of civilians, set up a doozy of a civil war.... pretty much taken a giant dump on the country.

Time to come home.

[Poll_Blind]

2. I kick every thread like this I see. Because that's a great question.

It ain't to do nothin' good, that's for sure.

PB

[polly7]

3. I believe troops and private contractors will remain by the hundreds

of thousands to guard Hussein's now de-nationalized oil and to ensure its safe passage out of the Strait of Hormuz. Also, all those million dollar bases establishing western power where they weren't allowed before ....... Iraq will never be free again of foreign occupation. Jmo.

[xiamiam]

4. obscene and indefensible..nt

[ixion]

5. Why, pressing the issue of Pax Americana, of course

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Because once we leave,

someone will come and take our oil, making everyone's death meaningless.

[mmonk]

7. Oh, did you believe them?

[treestar]

8. We are trying to end that war responsibly

Being as we are responsible for starting it.

If you have a disagreement about the logistics, it might be more persuasive than "WTF are we still in Iraq?"

[TBF]

15. Define "responsibly"

:eyes: :eyes:

[MichiganVote]

17. WE did not start this war, The War ciminals Cheney and Bush and Rumsfeld did it all.

Exactly what ARE the logistics of this occupation?

[jberryhill]

9. We are still in Japan and Germany

It's not as if we ever really leave.

[wildbilln864]

10. k&r #11! nt

[amyrose2712]

11. ...

[Ikonoklast]

12. Oil.

The biggest single user of refined petroleum products on this planet is the U.S. Department of Defense.


They need oil to run the war machine, the oil companies need the DoD to protect their profits, and we get to pay for all of it.

The never-ending circle of declare a resource 'vital' to our economy, deal with dictators friendly to us, or send in the CIA to destabilize the legitimately elected government, declare the bought-and-paid for generals and political operatives 'freedom fighters', send in the troops, overthrow the government, install our puppets, and ignore the political and economic repression of the newly-installed 'friendly' regime as the oil companies reap gigantic profits.

Thw war machine needs oil. and oil needs the war machine.


We never learn.


Iraq is now where Iran was sixty years ago.


See how well that worked out for us.

[madrchsod]

13. oil.....

[noamnety]

14. Every other nation in the so-called "coalition"

hasn't had a problem with walking away. They seem to be better off for it.

[MichiganVote]

16. Cuz' our country is full of assholes who give a shit about the taxes we pay for bullshit?

[TransitJohn]

18. As said upthread, oil. n/t

n/t

[TheKentuckian]

19. Providing security for non-American multi-nationals (not that it makes a difference)

to steal the Iraqi oil reserves and probably to minimize Iran taking it over.

We'll be there for the foreseeable. "Leaving" means 50.000 troops and a shitload of mercs and contractors.

When I say leave, I mean Grinch style even the ice cubes and the last can of Who hash.

If I move do I take part of my shit and only hangout in my bedroom, bathroom, and the kitchen?
Do I still pay rent or am I good because I moved out?

[johnaries]

20. Uh, we're leaving. And we're still on schedule.

"WASHINGTON — The US military withdrawal from Iraq is on schedule with only 50,000 troops set to remain by August 31, the top US commander in the country said Wednesday.

General Ray Odierno spoke to reporters in Washington, where he was meeting State Department officials to discuss the drawdown and the transition to a more civilian mission."


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gb_pqPii4Cept0a4t3ypM40uh73A