# President Obama quits war in Iraq **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 21, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380 "2011-10-21T18:47:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/21 "2011-10-23T12:24:26Z")
> [@](#): > > If he walked across the Potomac, the headlines would read, “Obama can’t swim!” And if he turned water into wine they’d complain about the vintage. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/22 "2011-10-23T12:47:52Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I shudder for what’s going to happen to the Iraqis now. The important thing to remember is that it’s **their problem** and not ours at this point. It’s long past time they stood up on their own and dealt with, or don’t deal with, their problems. The attitude you’re showing, **jjimm** is an open-ended one in which the US never withdraws troops from anywhere. And that’s a policy that’s bankrupt on its face. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/23 "2011-10-23T12:54:39Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Looks like Afghanistan and Pakistan are concerned about the USA: [Afghanistan to back Pakistan if wars with U.S.: Karzai | Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/22/us-pakistan-afghanistan-usa-idUSTRE79L19Z20111022?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews) More proof we need to just write off both of those countries. They made their IED strewn bed, they can lie in it without us. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/24 "2011-10-23T13:47:05Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > More proof we need to just write off both of those countries. They made their IED strewn bed, they can lie in it without us. Don’t let us stop you. The IED are one of the side effects of the little war the US brought to the region. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/25 "2011-10-23T13:50:24Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Don’t let us stop you. The IED are one of the side effects of the little war the US brought to the region. Sure, because there’s no chance people in the Middle East were blowing the fuck out of each other with suicide bombs before we got there, right? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/26 "2011-10-23T14:11:25Z")
> [@](#): > > jjimm > I shudder for what’s going to happen to the Iraqis now. Bad self government is always more palatable than bad foreign government. It will be an interesting contrast to Libya, I think. Democracy works best when the populace rise up to win it, not when it’s foisted upon them by a foreign interest, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/27 "2011-10-23T14:51:31Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Sure, because there’s no chance people in the Middle East were blowing the fuck out of each other with suicide bombs before we got there, right? I don’t know about the Middle East, but in Pakistan which is very much not in the middle east before 2001, there was exactly 1 suicide bombing; it was in 1995, Egyptian Embassy. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/28 "2011-10-23T14:52:52Z")
A lot of our blood was spilled in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama is pulling out just in time for the elections. Meanwhile those two countries will be in civil war within a couple years. The terrorist training camps restart and everything our guys died for is lost. I don’t know what the alternative is. No matter how long we stay I don’t see these countries stabilizing. The best outcome is a new dictator that isn’t a religious fanatic. Women had more freedom to wear normal clothing and work under Saddam then they ever will have under an Ayatollah. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/29 "2011-10-23T14:54:09Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I shudder for what’s going to happen to the Iraqis now. I shudder for what’s happened to them in the past ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/30 "2011-10-23T14:54:23Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I don’t know about the Middle East, but in Pakistan which is very much not in the middle east before 2001, there was exactly 1 suicide bombing; it was in 1995, Egyptian Embassy. Blowing up mosques of people with slightly different versions of the same religion, burning schools, throwing acid at people, assassinations, tribes attacking other tribes for petty reasons. None of that was happening before the US came? They were all living blissful peaceful lives until the evil white man came over and taught them how to sin? ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/31 "2011-10-23T14:59:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It was agreed in 2008 that all U.S. soldiers would be out of the country by the end of 2011. It’s true that the withdrawal could have been changed, and that it might have been changed if the governments of the U.S. and Iraq hadn’t been in conflict over immunity for U.S. soldiers. It’s also probably true that extending things would have looked bad for him. But this isn’t something Obama just decided to do for the 2012 election, since you can see the withdrawal agreement dates to the Bush administration. Which brings up the other point that I have heard right-wingers making: Obama is trying to steal Bush’s credit! Frankly I don’t see the upside to this for Obama politically. The election is 10 months after the troops are all withdrawn. If things go well in Iraq, any surge in popularity will have worn off by that time. Those 10 months do allow plenty of time for things to go south though, which he WILL get hammered on should that occur. If he was doing this to get re-elected a summer withdrawal would have had more lasting positive impact with less time for negative consequences to develop. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/32 "2011-10-23T15:13:59Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Blowing up mosques of people with slightly different versions of the same religion, burning schools, throwing acid at people, assassinations, tribes attacking other tribes for petty reasons. None of that was happening before the US came? They were all living blissful peaceful lives until the evil white man came over and taught them how to sin? Nope. There was crime true, as it is in any country, but no where near the scale of what has happened since 9-11. Most of the badlands especially in the North were major Tourist areas. For example Swat. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/33 "2011-10-23T17:17:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > A lot of our blood was spilled in Iraq and Afghanistan. > > Obama is pulling out just in time for the elections. > > Meanwhile those two countries will be in civil war within a couple years. The terrorist training camps restart and everything our guys died for is lost. > > I don’t know what the alternative is. No matter how long we stay I don’t see these countries stabilizing. The best outcome is a new dictator that isn’t a religious fanatic. > > Women had more freedom to wear normal clothing and work under Saddam then they ever will have under an Ayatollah. Obama is pulling out after nearly three years of trying to unfuck Bush’s mess and to keep his campaign promise. Next you’ll be saying that killing bin Laden and Saddam was a political campaign ploy. The Middle East is a snake pit and always has been. They will pay lip service as long as the money continues to roll in, but conduct business just like they have for hundreds of years. Corrupt and oppressive dictators are common both in that region and in Africa. Once you have control of the military, the rest fall into line out of self-preservation. The terrorists will continue to have training camps in whichever country will tolerate their presence. Pakistan, one of our supposed ‘allies’, is one of the worst offenders; our presence and our largess makes not one bit of difference to them. Wasting more American blood and dollars in this region is pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/34 "2011-10-23T22:38:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Corrupt and oppressive dictators are common both in that region and in Africa. That’s what happens when conquering foreigners turn your society into a machine designed for exploitation, and then after they leave come back every so often to overthrow any ruler who _isn’t_ a corrupt and oppressive dictator. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/35 "2011-10-23T22:45:13Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > They don’t want us there. Time to leave. Chickenhawks demanding that we ignore their sovereignity and our past promises be damned. > > Yeah, we need out of Afghanistan if only so we don’t have to keep relying on Pakistan to allow our shit to transit while they otherwise stab us in the back. The Iraqis did want us to stay there, but there were legal difficulties over who would have legal jurisdiction over US soldiers in Iraq. > [@aceplace57](#): > > A lot of our blood was spilled in Iraq and Afghanistan. > > Obama is pulling out just in time for the elections. > > Meanwhile those two countries will be in civil war within a couple years. The terrorist training camps restart and everything our guys died for is lost. > > I don’t know what the alternative is. No matter how long we stay I don’t see these countries stabilizing. The best outcome is a new dictator that isn’t a religious fanatic. That is nonsense Iraq HAS stabilized. > [@DigitalC](#): > > I shudder for what’s happened to them in the past ten years. You mean having an oppressive dictator removed from the stage? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/36 "2011-10-23T22:51:40Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Nope. There was crime true, as it is in any country, but no where near the scale of what has happened since 9-11. Most of the badlands especially in the North were major Tourist areas. For example Swat. I prefer Seal Team Six. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/37 "2011-10-24T03:51:04Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > You mean having an oppressive dictator removed from the stage? Yes, he was voted out of office in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/38 "2011-10-24T03:52:22Z")
About friggin time. The whole thing essentially ruined my teenage/early adult years. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/39 "2011-10-24T04:06:53Z")
I don’t get many of the responses in here, Obama didn’t choose to keep the date for a complete pullout. Everything I have read said we tried to keep a few thousand trainers, and are only leaving Iraq because Iraq is not willing to give US troops immunity. If anything it is a failure of diplomacy but I can sweep that aside knowing that no troops will be in Iraq. An end is an end, and I endorse that! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380/40 "2011-10-24T04:57:32Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > You mean having an oppressive dictator removed from the stage? Iraq under Saddam was a far better place than the ruined murderous nightmare we turned it into. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-quits-war-in-iraq/600380.md?page=3)