Bets anyone?

Bremer recently stated that the US would pull out of Iraq if the new government asked them to leave. I think the writing is on the wall. The US will NOT gain international support, especiallly after the prison scandal. The UN maintains a mostly hands off approach and the world proves Powell's insight to be correct....you break it, you own it.

Here is my prediction - the June 30th handover will happen. Whatever governing body that is will provide a timeline and framework to deliver open free elections in Iraq and they will ask the US to leave.

I think the administration is desperately looking for a way out now. Bremer making that statement, "We will leave if we are asked to", speaks volumes to me. It is over boys and girls. The Iraq government will ask the US to go and the US will go. There is no other way to leave while maintaining any semblance of credibility or strength. THAT IS THE EXIT STRATEGY.

Anyone wanna bet me?

However, I think it's more likely that whoever is "in charge" when we turn power over will be too scared of the chaos that would ensue if we just leave. I don't think they'll ask us to leave.

is the writing on the wall.

That's the only way out of The War To Make Dick Cheney Rich. As ludicrous as it souds coming from this bunch of thugs in the White House, they will go home if they are asked to. Go figure...

:freak:
dbt

BushCo has no intention of leaving Iraq . . . ever . . . the whole purpose of the invasion was to establish a permanent presence in an oil-rich Middle Eastern country, and that's what they've done . . . as long as they're in power, we're in Iraq . . . they don't have the brains or the vision to see any other course . . .

I love the US' imperialism strategy. It's more like setting up franchises than conquering in the traditional sense. You might get your democarcy some day, but you gotta PAYYYYYYY.

Give 'em 6 months to demobilize. Chances of being out of Iraq 6 months after June 30= 0.

I call. And I raise you a Nicarauguan skirmish.

I have been thinking the same thing.

Don

Especially since they've just begun softening up Syria with sanctions. Time to invade another sovereign ME country and try again.

My theory is that's why the $25B (I meant $50B) that Wolfowitz is pandering for, is basically a blank check for unforseen contingencies (read: new war).

He knows that the Iraqi puppet government will NOT ask the US to leave.

The bases in Iraq are there to stay. Our oil men will get their SoF agreement with some puppet regime in summer, and they'll keep the bases in place.

US officials are being completely honest when they say they want the Iraqis to manage their own country. But our officials want to *own* it. They see the population as a nuissance.

with a couple of 2 X 4's.

I saw something yesterday, I think, that cited several NATO ministers as saying if bush thinks he's gonna be the king of the hill at their meeting in Turkey coming up in a month or so (June or July, I forget which), he's got another thing coming. They're looking at his and rummy's confident statements about how we're gonna get more allies on board to help us out in Iraq, and they're LAUGHING IN OUR FACES.