US Troops Finally Leave Iraq – Just Kidding

A war-weary nation breathes a sign of relief today as the last of America’s troops finally return home from Iraq, fulfilling President Obama’s campaign pledge to have them out within 16 months of taking office.

April Fools.

In all seriousness, everyone who has been following the story even a little knows that just two days after his inauguration, President Obama was already talking about the promise as “aspirational” and a month later the “16 month plan” was formally replaced with the so-called 19 month plan, which would involve having some American troops leave Iraq by August 2010, declaring combat over, and keeping 50,000 troops “indefinitely.

At the time that pledge seemed a terrible betrayal of a campaign promise that was made the center of his foreign policy in debates. Now, even the “19 month plan” is looking pretty good by comparison, as officials admit it too is being “reconsidered.”

16 months after taking office the largest drawdown Iraq has seen was the one in early 2009, and that was set up by the outgoing Bush Administration. Since then troop levels have trickled only marginally downward, with 94,000 troops still remaining.

When the 19 month plan is formally abandoned (some officials still haven’t gotten the memo that it is virtually impossible), expect it to be replaced with the 38 month plan… where the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) actually mandates US troops to leave the nation by the end of 2011.

Of course it is far too soon to say that the 38 month plan won’t happen, but the administration’s track record of keeping its promises is not very good, and 20 months from now officials may well be looking for another excuse to “reconsider.”


21 thoughts on “US Troops Finally Leave Iraq – Just Kidding”

  1. Only a complete moron would have really believed that this would actually ever happen anyway.

    1. If you've seen the great documentary, "No End in Sight," you must realize by now that US war planners have never intended for troops to leave Iraq. A mechanism has been firmly grafted that provides for a presence till all of the oil and other natural resources are emptied from the region. Violence is allowed to ratchet up and down to satisfy the "need" for US troops to provide security for the people of Iraq, who are the daily beneficiaries of US-designed strategies for "controlled chaos."

  2. You know, US soldiers bringing home wives from Japan and Korea are largely responsible for the growth of Buddhism in America in the last generation or two. Probably soldiers marrying Muslim women will do the same in the next generation or two. Born-again preachers are undoubtedly sh*tting bricks over the prospect. At the grass-roots level, there's not much difference between Islam and Born-again Protestantism. Muslims have their rules of how to live thought out more carefully. But compared to Buddhism, they are Siamese twins having an argument.

  3. How many whoppers will it take from Obama before his supporters abandon him? Self-delusion is clearly a powerful force to overcome.

  4. Didn't they tell us that in Iraq's case is going to be the same as Japan,and Germany.After over 65 years US military and bases are still there.

  5. And of course they are ramping up troops in Afghanistan. I keep meeting people who know someone who is being sent to Afghanistan, it's alarming,more people seem to be being sent to the middle east than ever were during the Bush administration.

  6. Why is the US leaving Iraq. Do they think they will stablish the american way of life, or they will leave the caos? They have destroied a country, killed thousand of innocent people. There are no more jobs, no more hope. The story will judge the EMPIRE OF THE DARKNESS. The US do not know to live in peace. They have killed more than 40 million people on their wars. Remember Vietnam? And Korea? With 726 military bases around the world, they still want to be the "sherif" of the world.
    Don`t you think that people will confirm the US is the most hated country in the world?. Next to Israel.
    the second.




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