quote:RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The United States, which has had a military presence in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade, is expected to follow through on plans to withdraw nearly all of its forces after the Iraq war to help maintain U.S.-Saudi relations, American officials and Middle East experts said.
A senior diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Knight Ridder that several thousand personnel at Prince Sultan Air Base are likely to be pulled out within months after the United States officially declares victory in Iraq.
quote:The decision is not surprising because having combat troops in Saudi Arabia has a downside for the United States, too. Osama bin Laden has used the presence of non-Muslim troops in an important land of Islam to rationalize attacks on U.S. targets around the world. Before the war, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the defeat of Saddam would let the United States "change the presence levels of American troops throughout that region."
Now, I believe I predicted some time ago that once we'd established a free, democratic Iraq, we'd be able to use our influence, new bases and access to non OPEC-controlled oil supplies THERE in order to turn around and finally put pressure on the Saudis to change their ways.
Not that I'm claiming to be prescient, or anything, but... this would be the logical first step.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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Has it crossed your mind that a "free, democratic Iraq" might not want us using our influence, installing new bases or controling their oil supplies?
Or is that the price of our invasion and their liberation?
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
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quote:Originally posted by Jay the Obscure: Has it crossed your mind that a "free, democratic Iraq" might not want us using our influence, installing new bases or controling their oil supplies?
Yes. It's also crossed my mind that a solid gold meteorite might descend from space and obliterate Phil Donahue.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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I have no idea what that is supposed to mean or how it is relevant to anything.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
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Its really quite simple. Its inevitable that Iraq will forever be grateful for the US's role in its liberation from a totalitarian government, and will become a strong ally for US foreign/military policy.
You know, much like the Japanese and the Germans.
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In the future, I'll try to keep my post less critical of our humanitarian invasions and more positive as regards the American birthright to have cheap oil.
I am now happy that we will have our own oil rich country to rule and play as we see fit.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
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I'm sure that boy whose arms were blown off and was burned badly is very greatful at the US. "Oh thank you, superpower, for liberating me from Saddam. I am kind of sad your satellite-guided Tomahawk cruise missile or precision-guided smart bomb, whichever caused my injuries, went off course, and for the fact that you have killed thousands of my fellow countrymen, but all in all, I am glad you liberated me."
posted
Yes, let's forget the other tens of millions of people in Iraq.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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Veers isn't glad for them. He's not glad those kids got out of jail, either. Stupid kids should have shut up and joined the Saddam Youth. Especially that kid they'd been holding since the Iran-Iraq war. Not glad for the Shiites' and Kurds' kids not to have to worry about getting gassed. Not glad that the Palestinian terrorists have one less funder for THEIR attempts to blow Israeli kids up.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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Don't say that, in fact if you aren't going to post something pro-aggressive liberation invasion, you shouldn't be posting at all really.
And whatever you do, don't mention the people that were blown in half as a means of liberation, and don't mention that these now "liberated" people, the live ones, might not want to become a colony of the United States, want American military bases in their country, or want American oil companies controling Iraqi oil.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Jay, that is one scenerio, which I hope doesn't come to pass anymore than the liberation of Kuwait happened that way. If this administration fucks up and doesn't do as it has said it will do, leaving Iraq as soon as possible, then we are in a world of hurt.
Taking out Saddam was a necessity, as long as we don't over stay we will be okay. And saying that the US aided him in the 80's is like blaming Tony for Maggie's doings....
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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quote:If this administration fucks up and doesn't do as it has said it will do...
Like, say in Afghanistan?
quote:Taking out Saddam was a necessity...
No, it may have been desirable, but it was not a necessity.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
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I didn't think that they were done there yet...
I will quanitify that to, in my opinion it was, which, it seems, oddly enough, I am with the majority on, as far as various polls have rated Bush's handling of the war in Iraq go. Shit that almost makes me want to change my stance....
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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