Time to get out of Iraq as well as Syria?

If the U.S. leaves Iraq, Iran will set up terrorist camps there to attack Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the West.

Is the cost to the U.S. greater if we stay or if we leave? I don't have an answer to that question.

 

I can look it up if you like but that figure (1 million) takes into account the situation caused by the illegal invasion such as terrorist bombs, etc. I think the common term is "responsible for" one million dead.

EDIT: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...a-million-iraqis-survey-idUSL3048857920080130

 

That is assuming that Iran actually has an interest in setting up terrorist camps to attack any of those targets. It could be, although attacking the West seems the least likely. As for Israel and Saudi Arabia, do we want to be deeply involved in protecting them from Iran? If so, why? I thought Trumpservatives wanted to be done with the foreign wars. I thought Trump wanted to end those wars and bring all our troops home, and I thought that his supporters agreed with him about that. I've sure seen it enough on this forum. Instead of that, it seems Trump will now have us fighting a war with Iran on Iraqi soil. Do you want that? As soon as we defeat ISIS, we start fighting Iranian forces on the same territory. It's getting harder to justify our actions as preventing or countering terrorism.

 

I'm afraid this will be viewed more like an assassination than a military operation.
It may make operations in the Mid-East by American personnel precarious at best.

 

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

 

Hmm, 3500 more troops on their way to the Mid East.

 

Oh sure, but I was thinking of the overall pattern lately and the long-term implications. Trump has shown that he is all for using our military to defend Israel and Saudi Arabia, and this comes after all of the promises to get us out of foreign wars and bring the troops home. Instead, it looks like we and Iran are going to be fighting a spiffy new proxy war of sorts in Iraq and possibly Syria.

 

For sure there, and perhaps everywhere they have a presence.
My concern is that it will become open season on American civilians.
Exxon is leaving Iraq and 3500 more troops are going into Kuwait.

 

It sounds like we've angered and frightened a lot of Iraqis this way as well.

Iraq’s prime minister said with Friday’s attack Washington had violated a deal for keeping U.S. troops in his country.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...l-foiled-plot-against-americans-idUSKBN1Z11K8​

It's one thing to carry on counter-terrorism operations that include dealing with Iran's forces and partners in the region, but angering the Iraqi government as well as its people, and in their eyes at least violating an agreement? That doesn't bode well. What happens if they decide it's time for our people to go? Are we - is Trump - going to respect that? Or will cooler heads eventually prevail and we'll get to stay? Even if we do, it looks like there will be some escalation of conflict, with a lot of it being in Iraq. I really have to wonder what this administration and the Pentagon are thinking and planning right now. Are they in this to topple Iran's government at some point? Are they hoping Iran will eventually back down?

It's kind of insulting, also, having our elected government operating willy-nilly without even informing us of what they're up to. Sure is a far cry from when America first went overseas to beat down foreign threats to the rest of the free world and everyone knew who the enemies and what the objectives were.

 

Iran is al

Iran is already attacking those places. I would rather fight Iran on Iranian soil. No need to invade, just do like they do and send them a few missiles.

 

If I were Pompeo I would be thinking real hard about that Senate race,

 

What doing Iran and Iraq wrong?
Since 2003 millions were killed in name of 'democracy'
Results?
Nothing achived

 

And how is leading a global effort to arm, supply and support a Radical Islamist Proxy army not spreading the cancer ?

 

Americans will not support an invasion of Iran. They will reluctantly support massive airstrikes on Iran if Iran continues to attack Americans.
Eliminating the power base of the Shia minority, just 10% of Islam, is clearly not in the long term interest of the US, but Iran may may have decided to dare the USG to do what it clearly wants an excuse to do. This really is an intelligence test of Irans' leaders.

 

When a foreign country formally asks you to leave, then it's time to go. Today the Iraqi Parliament passed a resolution requesting U.S. departure. If we remain, we become intruders or invaders. Is that what America has become under Trump?

 

Then we will leave.
I expect Trump's opposition to cry when we do.

 

I am part of the Trump opposition, but I never supported starting the war in Iraq in the first place. We've been there since 2003, & the place is no better off now than when we landed there. What a complete waste of time, money, effort & lives. The Iraqis are right. It's time for us to leave.

 

I expect much of Trump's opposition to support Trump when he moves US Troops out of Iraq.

 

Well, I guess when you have no objective it's hard to be wrong.
But for some reason I thought we were supporting our guys in Syria from Iraq and I thought this whole thing was about a contractor being killed ,,,, in Iraq.

 

You might try to hold on to global respect and influence by showing respect for the rest of the world, respect for all those people who are not American, and then perhaps you might make some friends in the world instead of enemies. Perhaps stop bringing death and destruction and displacement and misery to hundreds of thousands in various parts of the globe, which imperialist America has been doing for around 70 years.

 

Don't necessarily disagree with you. I was only pointing the choices Trump seems to have talked himself into. He wants the influence, but doesn't want to pay the price. I suspect his private businesses were run the same way.

 

What is your definition of an insurgent?

 

Politicians need reasons for their actions, even if they are false reasons. The murder of the American businessman was just a convenient excuse. Americans get killed in foreign countries around the world almost every day, but we don't assassinate foreign leaders over them. Trump's assassination of the Iranian general will have no positive impacts in world affairs. Trump, as usual, had a knee-jerk reaction to something that got him stirred up emotionally, & simply "hit back" at what he interpreted as an easy target that could both offer him praise & get attention diverted from the impeachment. Trump is not a strategic thinker. He's simply a mindless reactionary who reacts emotionally without considering the consequences of his actions. Trump is incapable of thinking beyond how something--anything--will affect him personally. His vision & understanding of the world & international relations are equally limited.

 

A person who goes to fight in another country against that country's government but is not part a national military.

 

Trump told them that he would retaliate if an American was killed.
They tested him. And doubled up by attacking our embassy.
Trump's stated objective has always been to get the troops out of Iraq and Syria. The entire "administrative state" AKA Deep State throws a fit every time he starts to withdraw.
This may be a good opportunity to get out unless Iran decides to test Trump again.