Last convoy of fighting forces leaving Iraq today

[HavokFour]

Just thought you should know the rest of the combat troops leave today, turn your TV's to the news (MSNBC for me, they have a reporter on one of the Strykers). They're calling it "The Last Patrol".

Again, its on TV. There is no link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744453/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

Note: Please forgive, this post was made at blinding speeds.

 

[MikeL]

I believe OIF ended awhile ago.. it's been renamed to something else.

*Edit, yea back in Febuary OIF ended and was renamed to Operation New Dawn
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/19/world/main6223083.shtml

* Edit my bad, looks like it still is OIF, 1 Sept 2010 is when it will become Operation New Dawn.

 

[HavokFour]

I believe OIF ended awhile ago.. it's been renamed to something else.

*Edit, yea back in Febuary OIF ended and was renamed to Operation New Dawn
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/19/world/main6223083.shtml

Fixed. Please forgive, I shot the original post off like lightning.

 

[vonGarvin]

But...but...what will the hippies protest now that Iraq has a democratic (and *fairly typically middle-eastern) nation?



Oh, right, Afghanistan.  Ironic, isn't it?  Had we gone to Iraq in 2003, our combat operations would be over by now, probably with a similar amount of casualties, give or take.  Maybe more, maybe fewer.  But, PM Jean Chretien's attempts to have a "nice little out" for the "brutality" of Iraq have played out rather well, no?  And his party now opposes that mission.  I love irony.





*Bombs and stuff seem to be flavour of the day, over there. 

 

[observor 69]

At this time live feed MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/38762725#38762725

And it's gone. 1830 news said Richard Engel, their reporter would be blogging during his time enroute to Kuwait. Well he, and the convoy, have arrived in Kuwait.

And by the way MSNBC is calling it the end to

"The departure marks the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, P.J. Crowley, a spokesman for the State Department, told msnbc TV. But while it is “an historic moment,” he said, it is not the end of the U.S. mission in Iraq. "

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744453/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

 

[MikeL]

IMO everything thats going on the news right now about this doesn't really mean to much as there will still be(AFAIK) a US Military presence in Iraq staying to continue on with the ETT(OMLT), and more then likely some Aviation and SOF, etc.

 

[Infanteer]

There is still 50,000 soldiers (under three divisional commands) and about 4,500 SOF soldiers in Iraq, all under the banner of "Advise and Assist" Brigades.

 

[Jarnhamar]

But what about the WMDs?

 

[vonGarvin]

But what about the WMDs?

What about them?  Prior to the war (from 1991 to 2003), Saddam had flaunted the UN ceasefire agreements and even "Slick Willy" felt it necessary to bomb parts of Iraq.  I agree that using WMDs as the "selling point" was sensationalist, but the fact remains that Iraq failed to account to the satisfaction of the UN that it had no more WMDs in its stocks.

 

[GAP]

What about them?  Prior to the war (from 1991 to 2003), Saddam had flaunted the UN ceasefire agreements and even "Slick Willy" felt it necessary to bomb parts of Iraq.  I agree that using WMDs as the "selling point" was sensationalist, but the fact remains that Iraq failed to account to the satisfaction of the UN that it had no more WMDs in its stocks.

And the US still has the receipts.....

 

[Jarnhamar]

What about them?  Prior to the war (from 1991 to 2003), Saddam had flaunted the UN ceasefire agreements and even "Slick Willy" felt it necessary to bomb parts of Iraq.  I agree that using WMDs as the "selling point" was sensationalist, but the fact remains that Iraq failed to account to the satisfaction of the UN that it had no more WMDs in its stocks.

In the crusade of the righteous there is no room for weak lies  ;D
The OMG WMDs was weak, I felt that we were better than that. If the US would have said saddam is an asshole and were going to go kill him because we can I would have supported it 100% (he was an asshole!). The WMD stuff just felt like a big lie. Yea Saddam never listened to the UN. Who does? If the UN turned around and waggled their finger at the US for a violation would the US care?  IMO no one really cares what the UN says or does anymore. US went into Iraq because they wanted to.

I would like to see what Battle Zone Afghanistan would look like today had the US Invaded and committed 100% of their forces there and not got mixed up in Iraq.

As of July 27 2010;
4,4136US Soldiers Killed, 31,897 Seriously Wounded.  I'm not sure how many US (and allied) soldiers have cycled through Iraq in total but I have a feeling they all could have made a significant difference in the Afghanistan.

 

[vonGarvin]

I would like to see what Battle Zone Afghanistan would look like today had the US Invaded and committed 100% of their forces there and not got mixed up in Iraq.

True; however, even "we" thought that it was pretty well over, even way back in '03, when we first went to Kabul.  "They" figured it would all be low-level stuff, minor flare ups here and there.  I guess hindsight really is 20/20.

 

[Pencil Tech]

They Came, They Saw, They Left