So we pull out of Iraq, then what?

[CPBRIAN10THMTN]

Too much of this war is being fought in the press. Our media has given far too many opinions and far too few facts. When you listen to the views of those that have been over there, they are in direct contrast to what the media "reports".
We would have been far better off and will be far better off if the media and congress would sit back and leave the military do their jobs. We have finely trained professionals that have been severly harnassed to this point. It needs to stop. Release the restraints on our military for 6 months and then take a look at what they can really do. Pull out then would be no problem because the problem would be gone.
Exactly, so many times, I have been told not to take the shot or so on..... really it comes down to politics, hand and hand with the media, there have been numerous incidents i was involved with where the news reported something off the wall and completely different, especially reuter's, we were and are so held back its disgusting, there were so many oportunities over there but we were held back by formalities. Politics.

[Rexone]

Rex,
You are talking about an army of men that did not want to be there, that did not want to fight and were extremely happy when we showed up and immediately surrendered. Rules of engagement were definetly planned, we dropped leaflets and aired warnings for people to stay in their homes, anyone on the street would be shot and killed. The problem we faced immediatly was the lack of security on the borders and soon enough iraq became a terrorist playground. We did obliterate the enemy we set out too but seem to drag our feet with the one that we fight today. Just not enough manpower to keep borders completely secure. I definetly agree with you on our borders!
I see your point. Seems like very poor planning on the Iraq border subject though. The government and the military had to recognize in advance that it would be a big problem, one would think, based on the attitude and terriorist content of Iraq's neighbors. My question in hindsight is why our government would allow us to go in knowing that this infiltration over Iraq's borders issue would result in what we have today. Either they were just dumbasses or it had to be planned this way it would seem.
With the billions of dollars we've spent over 4 years I'm confident the technology exists to have secured those borders with night vishion and / or infrared heat sensing technology / satalite / backed up with air support probably for far less money than has been spent.
Again maybe the goal of the war was to draw the terrorists to Iraq so we could fight them all there in one place rather than here or other places. It's all I can think of that makes any sense at this point.

[HotRod82]

I see your point. Seems like very poor planning on the Iraq border subject though. The government and the military had to recognize in advance that it would be a big problem, one would think, based on the attitude and terriorist content of Iraq's neighbors. My question in hindsight is why our government would allow us to go in knowing that this infiltration over Iraq's borders issue would result in what we have today. Either they were just dumbasses or it had to be planned this way it would seem.
With the billions of dollars we've spent over 4 years I'm confident the technology exists to have secured those borders with night vishion and / or infrared heat sensing technology / satalite / backed up with air support probably for far less money than has been spent.
Again maybe the goal of the war was to draw the terrorists to Iraq so we could fight them all there in one place rather than here or other places. It's all I can think of that makes any sense at this point.
Finally!! I'm not the only one who thinks this "mess" may be exactly what the pentagon / CIA wanted. It kinda makes sense, draw the extremists to one point in the region so they would focus on Iraq, the result being no new terrorist attacks here in the US since 9/11. I hesitate to give Bush this much credit, but with all the doom and gloom that was forecast after 9/11, it is pretty amazing we haven't seen something 100 times worse than 9/11. Unfortunately, there is no way we can sustain the 12 BILLION a month cost of all this. I would love to see 12 Billion a month spent here at home on OUR infrastructure.