[PhanthomOps]

"Immediate pullout from Iraq" - Hmmmmmmmm, quite interesting.

First, I may slightly repeat some of what has been previously stated, however, please bear with me. For the purpose of this post - put aside the political and economic aspects of what we are considering.

Remember Afghanistan?? - we trained and supplied them in their fight against Russia. However, when Russia decided enough was enough and left, so did we. They immediately reverted to their tribal mentallity and ways. But the group we had so diligently armed said - no, we are in charge. We all know the rest, up to and including 9/11.

Consider for a minute, had we stayed in Afghanistan, helped them to rebuild their country, establish diplomatic and trade agreements, helped them to establish an agricultural industry so that poppy wasn't their major means of income, built schools, hospitals, police departments, etc., more than likely 9/11 wouldn't have happened as it did, if at all, and we would not have had to go in like we did.

Now to Iraq. This country, even under Saddam had numerous ethnic groups, each with various religious beliefs, some moderate and some very radical, which by the way put them in strong, and even violent opposition with each other. After Saddams fall, we have all seen the result. Each religious faction is now basically free to fight and murder each other, all the while our forces are contending not only with them, but with the "extreme radical terrorists" from Iraq and outside, whose only purpose is to kill regardless of soldier, innocent man, woman or child, and destroy all in the name of Allah. Note: I do not include in this the vast majority of Muslims who are a peaceful people.

Their religious beliefs are as divided as ours. Just look at how many different classifications we have in the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths alone. The major difference between us is that we (thus far thank God) have not declared war on each other in a military sense, going around with guns, etc.

If we were to pull out of Iraq, we would absolutely and totally lose whatever credibility we have in the world today. This would more than that dishonor our gallant servicemen/women who have given the ultimate sacrifice, and demoralize the spirit of our current service people.

Liken the results if we were to pull out to the simultaneous destruction of every dam in the United States, letting trillions, and trillions of tons of water loose to cause total annihilation, death and destruction of everything in its' path, not to mention the mass panic, confusion and utter chaos that would ensue.

This would then send a message to the "terrorists" that we are nothing more than a bunch of wimps, who speak mighty words and then bury our heads in the sand, too afraid to back them up. And that they can in reality do what they want with no restraint or consequence. Now, this would definately give them the idea that "the great infidel" as they call us can be destroyed, thereby encouraging them to terrorize us at will on our homeland.

Think, is that what you really want????????????