Iraq: Mass Exodus

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
1

I’m sure it’s not as bad as it sounds…

War in Iraq Propelling A Massive Migration
Wave Creates Tension Across the Middle East
Washington Post
February 4, 2007
As the fourth year of war nears its end, the Middle East’s largest refugee crisis since the Palestinian exodus from Israel in 1948 is unfolding in a climate of fear, persecution and tragedy.

Nearly 2 million Iraqis – about 8 percent of the prewar population – have embarked on a desperate migration, mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The refugees include large numbers of doctors, academics and other professionals vital for Iraq’s recovery. Another 1.7 million have been forced to move to safer towns and villages inside Iraq, and as many as 50,000 Iraqis a month flee their homes, the U.N. agency said in January…

Feeding the bitterness of exile is a sense that outside forces created their plight. Many Iraqis here view the U.S.-led invasion that ousted President Saddam Hussein as the root of their woes.

“We were promised a kind of heaven on earth,” said Rabab Haider, who fled Baghdad last year. “But we’ve been given a real hell…”

What a bargain.

Congress anticipates skyrocketing costs for wars
Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Congress has appropriated $379 billion for the conflict. If Congress funds the war at the levels that Bush seeks through September 2008, its price tag will reach $537 billion, almost exactly what the country spent on the Vietnam War in 2007 dollars.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/16610611.htm

2

[quote]JustTheFacts wrote:
I’m sure it’s not as bad as it sounds…

War in Iraq Propelling A Massive Migration
Wave Creates Tension Across the Middle East
Washington Post
February 4, 2007
As the fourth year of war nears its end, the Middle East’s largest refugee crisis since the Palestinian exodus from Israel in 1948 is unfolding in a climate of fear, persecution and tragedy.

Nearly 2 million Iraqis – about 8 percent of the prewar population – have embarked on a desperate migration, mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The refugees include large numbers of doctors, academics and other professionals vital for Iraq’s recovery. Another 1.7 million have been forced to move to safer towns and villages inside Iraq, and as many as 50,000 Iraqis a month flee their homes, the U.N. agency said in January…

Feeding the bitterness of exile is a sense that outside forces created their plight. Many Iraqis here view the U.S.-led invasion that ousted President Saddam Hussein as the root of their woes.

“We were promised a kind of heaven on earth,” said Rabab Haider, who fled Baghdad last year. “But we’ve been given a real hell…”

What a bargain.

Congress anticipates skyrocketing costs for wars
Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Congress has appropriated $379 billion for the conflict. If Congress funds the war at the levels that Bush seeks through September 2008, its price tag will reach $537 billion, almost exactly what the country spent on the Vietnam War in 2007 dollars.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/16610611.htm
[/quote]

jtf,

Any ideas?

JeffR

3

[quote]JeffR wrote:
jtf,

Any ideas?

JeffR
[/quote]

It’s time to get out. It’s over. The only thing our troops are doing over there is trying to survive.

4

[quote]JustTheFacts wrote:
JeffR wrote:
jtf,

Any ideas?

JeffR

It’s time to get out. It’s over. The only thing our troops are doing over there is trying to survive. [/quote]

As in leave today? What happens, jtf?

In particular, does that embolden iran? Where does that leave us and our allies (Kuwait?)

You cool with iran running Iraq?

Just curious if you’ve thought it through.

I was hoping for more than, “We quit” commentary from you.

JeffR

5

[quote]JeffR wrote:
JustTheFacts wrote:
JeffR wrote:
jtf,

Any ideas?

JeffR

It’s time to get out. It’s over. The only thing our troops are doing over there is trying to survive.

As in leave today? What happens, jtf?

In particular, does that embolden iran? Where does that leave us and our allies (Kuwait?)

You cool with iranian run Iraq?

Just curious if you’ve thought it through.

I was hoping for more than, “We quit” commentary from you.

JeffR
[/quote]
Hell I am cooler with Iran running Iraq than all the insugents taking it over. Iran is an enemy we already know. We don’t know these other assholes. Imagine if Al Sadr takes over, yikes!

If we leave now we will have to come back in two years or less to overthrow yet another crimianl government threatening the world with bad intent.
I wish we never went there, just like everybody else, but we are there. Any idiot knows if we leave now we will have to come back yet again, any idiot knows that. I’d hate that even worse than what we are doing now.

JTF, do you think for yourself or just regurgitate links ad nauseum to think for you?

6

[quote]pat36 wrote:
JeffR wrote:
JustTheFacts wrote:
JeffR wrote:
jtf,

Any ideas?

JeffR

It’s time to get out. It’s over. The only thing our troops are doing over there is trying to survive.

As in leave today? What happens, jtf?

In particular, does that embolden iran? Where does that leave us and our allies (Kuwait?)

You cool with iranian run Iraq?

Just curious if you’ve thought it through.

I was hoping for more than, “We quit” commentary from you.

JeffR

Hell I am cooler with Iran running Iraq than all the insugents taking it over. Iran is an enemy we already know. We don’t know these other assholes. Imagine if Al Sadr takes over, yikes!

If we leave now we will have to come back in two years or less to overthrow yet another crimianl government threatening the world with bad intent.
I wish we never went there, just like everybody else, but we are there. Any idiot knows if we leave now we will have to come back yet again, any idiot knows that. I’d hate that even worse than what we are doing now.

JTF, do you think for yourself or just regurgitate links ad nauseum to think for you?
[/quote]

Pat,

The tin foil brigade’s response to this is “hey, we talked down the soviet union.”

In order for that nonsense comparison to work, the iranians would have to reject martyrdom. There would have to be a leadership that deals with realities and allows a common frame of reference.

Further, it would be hard to put abedinejad (we cured aids with herbs/the holocaust is a myth/we will wipe out Israel/U.S.) in the same sentence as Gorbachev.

JeffR

7

WWJD?
Kill, main, burn!
Kill, main, burn!

8

[quote]metalsluggx wrote:
WWJD?
Kill, main, burn!
Kill, main, burn![/quote]

Strange post. What is “main?”

JeffR

9

[quote]JeffR wrote:
metalsluggx wrote:
WWJD?
Kill, main, burn!
Kill, main, burn!

Strange post. What is “main?”

JeffR

[/quote]

Don’t be dense, Jeff. You know he meant “Maim”. A simple misunderstading.
The hyper-intelligent are always answering their own questions, thusly:

Query: What Would Jesus Do?

Answer: Kill, Maim, Burn!

Don’t act like it’s not the truth! We have neocons to denigrate!

10

[quote]Cunnivore wrote:
JeffR wrote:
metalsluggx wrote:
WWJD?
Kill, main, burn!
Kill, main, burn!

Strange post. What is “main?”

JeffR

Don’t be dense, Jeff. You know he meant “Maim”. A simple misunderstading.
The hyper-intelligent are always answering their own questions, thusly:

Query: What Would Jesus Do?

Answer: Kill, Maim, Burn!

Don’t act like it’s not the truth! We have neocons to denigrate![/quote]

Cunn,

Have you noticed the “hyper-intelligent” that like to rip on others’ supposed lack of intelligence, are often the most aggregious in their grammar errors!!!

Hypocrites taste like chicken.

JeffR

11

[quote]JeffR wrote:
As in leave today? What happens, jtf?

In particular, does that embolden iran? Where does that leave us and our allies (Kuwait?)

You cool with iran running Iraq?

Just curious if you’ve thought it through.

I was hoping for more than, “We quit” commentary from you.

JeffR
[/quote]

I hate to have to point out the obvious, but have you EVER noticed the LONGER WE STAY and the more $BILLIONS WE SPEND, the worse Iraq gets?

Just THIS week already, was worse than last week, which was worse than the week before, etc, etc…

But lets be honest, when we say ‘Iraq’, were not really talking about ALL of Iraq, we’re talking about Baghdad. We don’t even control BAGHDAD – the CAPITAL of Iraq – which means we control NOTHING.

That’s why the troops have to drive like this:

There is no GOOD solution, but the most obvious of all is that the longer we stay, the worse it gets, it’s as simple as that. Spoiled milk doesn’t get BETTER, and neither will Iraq (I mean Baghdad)

12

[quote]pat36 wrote:
Hell I am cooler with Iran running Iraq than all the insugents taking it over. Iran is an enemy we already know. We don’t know these other assholes. Imagine if Al Sadr takes over, yikes!

If we leave now we will have to come back in two years or less to overthrow yet another crimianl government threatening the world with bad intent.
I wish we never went there, just like everybody else, but we are there. Any idiot knows if we leave now we will have to come back yet again, any idiot knows that. I’d hate that even worse than what we are doing now.

JTF, do you think for yourself or just regurgitate links ad nauseum to think for you?
[/quote]

Any idiot SHOULD know that the longer we stay, the worse it gets. Yes we may have to go back again, but the most obviously stunning reality is that Iraq keeps getting WORSE with us being there.

You understand ‘WORSE’ means ‘not BETTER’?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result.

We need to pull back and see what happens, as scary as that may be, because after half a trillion dollars, almost 4 years and 3,100 Americans dead, WE STILL DO NOT CONTROL BAGHDAD nor most of the roads leading in and out of BAGHDAD.

It’s a very simple concept that most people don’t seem to comprehend, without controlling BAGHDAD, we control NOTHING – and the longer we stay, the WORSE it gets.

13

[quote]JustTheFacts wrote:
pat36 wrote:
Hell I am cooler with Iran running Iraq than all the insugents taking it over. Iran is an enemy we already know. We don’t know these other assholes. Imagine if Al Sadr takes over, yikes!

If we leave now we will have to come back in two years or less to overthrow yet another crimianl government threatening the world with bad intent.
I wish we never went there, just like everybody else, but we are there. Any idiot knows if we leave now we will have to come back yet again, any idiot knows that. I’d hate that even worse than what we are doing now.

JTF, do you think for yourself or just regurgitate links ad nauseum to think for you?

Any idiot SHOULD know that the longer we stay, the worse it gets. Yes we may have to go back again, but the most obviously stunning reality is that Iraq keeps getting WORSE with us being there.

You understand ‘WORSE’ means ‘not BETTER’?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result.

We need to pull back and see what happens, as scary as that may be, because after half a trillion dollars, almost 4 years and 3,100 Americans dead, WE STILL DO NOT CONTROL BAGHDAD nor most of the roads leading in and out of BAGHDAD.

It’s a very simple concept that most people don’t seem to comprehend, without controlling BAGHDAD, we control NOTHING – and the longer we stay, the WORSE it gets.[/quote]

The terrorsts have thrown almost all their resourses into Baghdad to fool people into just such an opinion. The overwhelming majority of Iraq is safe.

14

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
The terrorsts have thrown almost all their resourses into Baghdad to fool people into just such an opinion. The overwhelming majority of Iraq is safe.
[/quote]

Hence we don’t control anywhere the “terrorists” choose to concentrate their resources.

So numerous massive bombings, recently shooting down 4 helicopters, etc. is just a ploy to make people think things are bad because they really are not?

Circular reasoning at it’s best.

Perhaps the reason the “overwhelming majority of Iraq is safe” is because our troops aren’t in the “overwhelming majority of Iraq”.

15

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
The overwhelming majority of Iraq is safe.
[/quote]

If you fly in a plane over Iraq. its not like the whole country’s burning.