Marine commandant: "The time is right for Marines to leave Iraq"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

WASHINGTON – Iraq is stable enough to allow the roughly 22,000 U.S. Marines there to withdraw, the service's top general said Friday.

"The time is right for Marines in general terms to leave Iraq," said Marine Corps Commandant James Conway.

That war has become largely a nation-building mission rather than the pitched fighting in which the Marine Corps excels, Conway said.

Conway said he wants to see up to 20,000 Marines deployed instead to the building fight in Afghanistan, especially in the south where insurgents and the Taliban and al-Qaida benefit from both a nearby safe haven and booming trade in narcotics.

"When you've got those two elements you've got the potential for a long-term insurgency," he said. "That's where the Marines ought to be. That's what we offer the nation," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_re_us/marines_iraq

[Mononoke28 137]

Diana

[Otto 83]

High time to go kick some major Tali-butt...

[NickD 203]

What marines share with Superman, with their dress, they stick out like sore thumbs, but unlike Superman, can be blown to bits. While Bush constantly referred to Iraq as a war, that war was over with in weeks, it's been a police action since then. And an unfair one at that, as our marines have to follow rules of engagement with an enemy where they can't tell the good from the bad guys, they all look the same. Our marines are effectively, targets that can't fire upon unless fired on first. What idiot thought that up?

Lots of war criminals roaming around after WW II, that was all dealt with by undercover agents and quietly, find them and shoot them, and don't jail them if they accidentally shot the wrong person, unlike making an example of several marines that shot the wrong person. Would love to see Bush roam around Iraq all dressed up with metals and a uniform with rules of engagement or that attorney he put in charge. For our own troops, presents a certain amount of stress doing that day after day.

One remarkable characteristic of Lincoln and Roosevelt is they knew how to pick out men that knew what they were doing rather than choose people that helped them with their campaign. If Obama wants to be like Lincoln, he should listen to Conway. Conway should not have to make a public announcement about his views. Can't say much about Obamas' military experience. The president of the USA was made commander in chief at the time of Washington, but hey, look at his record! Can't say that about some of the other jokers that carried this powerful position, like that guy that just left office. He was deeply concerned about his own safety though.

[Jasman0717 9]

They can just drive over to Afghanistan