The most lasting legacy amongst all the other detritus of the outgoing Bunnypants Administration will likely be how we fucked up the sovereign nation of Iraq. Briefly, it went like this…
We had a love-hate relationship with dear old Saddam, selling him weapons to use with no questions asked… then allowing him to almost sink a US Navy warship (no reprisals, no problem-o with the old Iraqi oil spigot) and finally he goes and invades Kuwait, pissing off the Very Good Friends of Daddy Bush, the Al-Sabah family of Kuwait and threatening Kuwaiti oil industry. Well, commit genocide, rule with an iron fist, shoot at a US Capital Warship… fuck with the oil, and baby you are going dowwwwn. Thus the basis for the an American Foreign policy was born that would likely have been cut from a Clancy novel by his editors as being completely unrealistic… until 9/11.
So off we marched to war (no, not that one in the Opium Triangle) and committed hundreds of thousands of American troops and countless (literally) dollars to prosecuting a war against former weapons client and all-around anti-Irani factotum Saddam. He got his ass kicked, as he did once before. Then began the occupation. Now the occupation is coming to an end… and the Bushies are getting worried, because the one thing that they need is missing, a "Status of Forces Agreement" or SOFA which basically guarantees US Forces access to the country as "guests" after the hostilities have effectively ended. We have had them with all the countries we were involved in WWII with, both as friends and adversaries (Japan’s was interesting in the way that it gave Japanese a modified jurisdiction over service members who committed crimes in-country). The Bushies seem to view obtaining a SOFA agreement as some sort of vindication of their misguided efforts in Iraq, and are loathe to leave office without something on paper.
Apparently, there must be some phenomenal pressure being brought on the Iraqi councils to approve a limited SOFA which might effectively tie the hands of incoming Obama administration…
The agreement sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from all Iraqi cities and towns, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.
The date for all troops to leave Iraq will be December 31, 2011, he said.
So, we have a "date certain" now for the withdrawl of all the US Forces from Iraq. How defeatist, or have the Republicans been using other words for that? The fact that there are no details of this SOFA agreement beyond what’s been made public thus far seem to make it all about allowing The Worst Preznit Evah to leave office without much of a penalty for Dick and the NeoCons’ most excellent adventures in the middle east.
American troops who have never had any business in Iraq, are being asked to effectively be garrisoned (or so it seems) with no other responsibilities beyond sitting on their asses inside US bases and fortifications. Congress must take an active role in opposing this unless there are immediate reductions in troop strength beyond the slow draw-down that this agreement seems to imply. Leaving US Forces stuck inside the bases will make them little more than stationary targets for malcontents within the civilian population who see a chance to "strike a blow" against the occupiers of their country with no real consequences because by the time there is a reaction they’ll be long gone into the countryside. And the Iraqis are rightly not going to allow indiscriminate raids "just because", those days are coming to an end with the departure of Preznit "Bring it on".
This SOFA is nothing more than a band-aid, and President Obama does not need his hands tied by an agreement like this, after all, bad agreements/law/treaties have been the hallmark of Mr. Bush. Mr. Obama can make his own mistakes, he doesn’t need any help from an idiot with the popularity of jock itch and the public relations-savvy of the Mormon Church.
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Davenport.
Aloha, Jo!
Ok Pups Digg is no open for your Digging Pleasure! So get those shovels Digging this great Post from Jo Fish!!
Aloha, CT!
CT still hanging at the old place?
Obama has no obligation to honor the SOFA and have his hands tied unless he wants to use it as cover. The SOFA gives a quasi legal status to US troops in Iraq but we can and should get out in 16 months or sooner.
Yep, soaking it for what it’s worth… Ready to go anytime tho…! ;-)
The sooner the better!
Don’t forget that Saddam massed his troops on the Kuwait border for weeks. The lack of any clear expression of disapproval from his patron numero uno Papa Bush was eventually taken as a green light and in they went.
Skipping ahead, according to Mohammed Ibn Laith in Siun’s earlier post, there is little support in the Iraqi government for a SOFA and none among the citizenry. Bottom line, if December 31 passes and Americans aren’t packing their bags the situation is likely to hit the fan.
Obama used to say the U.S. should get out of Iraq sixteen months from then; now he’s saying the U.S. should get out sixteen months from now — wadda flipflopper ;)
Dya think?
I wonder if there is any wording in the agreement regarding the removal of 190,000 foreign contractors.
Who knew that invading and occupying another country for several years could be so complicated..?
With 535 other Americans in Congress…supposedly there to represent and to facilitate representative government and governance not one of them has deemed it dutiful to give a public face and voice to demanding a full and detailed telling of what this SOFA contains.
Bush/Cheney regime surely has been driving this SOFA hard with full desire to set in place before December 2008 ends. This full court press surely connected with premise that founded those American “super bases” that have been planted in Iraq. That effort having been fully pushed from early on in Iraq during American Occupation.
Was the construction of these super-bases ever discussed in Congress?
The Iraqis will be lucky to rid Iraq of American presence or meddling.
Bush/Cheney regime clearly placed ongoing,long staying American presence in Iraq at the center of this Bush/Cheney regimes entire line of thought and reason for invading/occupying Iraq.
Amazing the American’s Iraqi puppet–al-Maliki–has shown this much vigor in resisting Bush/Cheney regimes SOFA desires up to now.
Americans staying on in Iraq will only bring on more complications as time goes forward. Set piece garrison basing is notoriously difficult to sustain in troubled political,insurgent and hostile populations environments.
Choosing 2011 as final year for departure runs big gauntlet of being put through another American congressional election cycle. No doubt that was the point of settling on 2011.
Too bad the American war criminals will not pay for what they have done.
Bush/Cheney regime has demonstrated well enough the nature of the cowardice,dishonor and political/ethical bankruptcy it has achieved.
I’d hazard a guess that they’d be following us out the door most rickety-tick! ;-)
the last few days i’ve been reading some disturbing things about expectations for obama’s foreign policy – on torture and closing gitmo (and other gulag sites). don’t know if they are from obama’s team or if they are external and meant to pressure him. was hoping to know what folks here think. here is one example:
Post-Guantánamo: A New Detention Law?
That’s a really really good question, ES, and one that I tried to find an answer to. Unfortunately the 1600 Crew is keeping this very close to their chests and if history is any guide at all it will be sprung on us as fait accompli, leaving Blackwater and CheneyBurton in place with military support.
OMG
JoFish
this is likely, imho, the most powerful thing you have written EVAH.
not that i haven’t loved your previous work, but dah’lin, you are, again, imho, SHARPENING that pen of yours.
PLEEEEEZE keep on keepin on.
my fanship was just renewed with vigor!
BRAVO!
I’d love to see Obama go in as one of the defense attorneys to see what is going on. I doubt any of the defendants would even know who he is.
bring ‘em home .. the sooner the better .. imo ..
Teddy is upstairs!
h8er Won’t Get My “MILK” Money
When I was stationed in Greece (30 yrs ago) we lived by the Statues of Forces agreement…… Now this was peace time but there was a specific clause that the US Military was required to hire X number of nationals……. because of that….. there were 23 nurses who were dependents who were unemployed……While we brainstormed on how to keep our licenses, keep our skills and the hospital director of nurses begged to hire us.
The only way we could work was to “volunteer” which we did…… Thankfully the military documented it so that if any of us needed it when we returned to the states…..
It also determined how much or little of Armed Services radio/TV that was broadcassted…… It was lots of “fun” to learn to live under these rules….
In the 60 Minutes interview again tonight he said clearly he wants to close Gitmo; a top priority along with no more torture.
I just watched the Obama interview on 60 Minutes, and the president-elect seemed confident that he would end the Iraq occupation in a timely and responsible way. This President is not going to have his hands tied by any actions of any previous administration, I’m pretty sure of that. What a great interview, to have a smart President that has common sense and decency, and is not afraid to answer questions.
thank you.
My take too. Isn’t it wonderful?!
Yes it is. Listening to Michelle and Barack talk about stuff for an hour was soothing and made me feel like everything is going to be okay. Kind of like a really nice therapy session of some sort, though I have never been to an actual therapist.
Yes ES the word is… they are being transferred to the US/Mexican border to keep Americans out of Mexico. Scary huh Posse Comitatus to keep us Gringos in line.
If anyone comes back here….And why is it we US citizens are to be kept out of Mexico? That is news to me.