Those Who Keep Saying We Should Have Kept More Troops in Iraq...

[What Would Jesus Do?]

"If we had stayed in Iraq after 2011, we would be well past the 4693 dead that we had in that war. We would be pushing 6000 dead troops at this point. ISIS and all these other groups would be attacking us on a minute to minute basis, and that is all you would be hearing about is the failure of us not to get out of Iraq."

--Malcolm Nance, a retired Arabic speaking U.S. counterterrorism intelligence officer and combat veteran who first worked in Iraq in 1987. He is the author of several books, including, The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014. His new piece for The Intercept is called, "ISIS Forces That Now Control Ramadi Are Ex-Baathist Saddam Loyalists."

LINK to extended discussion with Nance and journalist Patrick Cockburn.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

another quote:

"To take nothing away from the people who fought that war, that war should never have been fought. I’m saying this not as someone who writes books, I’m saying this as an intelligence professional. Invading Iraq after 2003 would have been akin to invading Mexico after Pearl Harbor. It had nothing to do with 9/11. The intelligence did not support it."

 

[lucas80]

Every candidate for President should be asked a straight forward question. Is Iraq worth the life of one of your children/grandchildren?

 

[Arbitr8]

"If we had stayed in Iraq after 2011, we would be well past the 4693 dead that we had in that war. We would be pushing 6000 dead troops at this point. ISIS and all these other groups would be attacking us on a minute to minute basis, and that is all you would be hearing about is the failure of us not to get out of Iraq."

--Malcolm Nance, a retired Arabic speaking U.S. counterterrorism intelligence officer and combat veteran who first worked in Iraq in 1987. He is the author of several books, including, The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014. His new piece for The Intercept is called, "ISIS Forces That Now Control Ramadi Are Ex-Baathist Saddam Loyalists."

LINK to extended discussion with Nance and journalist Patrick Cockburn.

Lies

 

[TexMichFan]

Lies

Might be a little light on details in your reply.

 

[naturalmwa]

Might be a little light on details in your reply.

Damn lies!

 

[TJ8869]

Damn lies!

Statistics!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Every candidate for President should be asked a straight forward question. Is Iraq worth the life of one of your children/grandchildren?

Is that an argument against voting for Lindsey Graham?

If we had a policy requiring the children/relatives of those who vote for wars to be at risk in those wars, would that reduce the inclination toward war? Or would it reduce the number of people with children or grandchildren running for high office? Or would it actually increase the bloodthirstiness of our elected reps?

 

[millhawk]

Is that an argument against voting for Lindsey Graham?

If we had a policy requiring the children/relatives of those who vote for wars to be at risk in those wars, would that reduce the inclination toward war? Or would it reduce the number of people with children or grandchildren running for high office? Or would it actually increase the bloodthirstiness of our elected reps?

If you asked that question in '41 would we have stopped Hitler?

Horrible bad decision to go into Iraq. Horrible bad decision to pull out by Obozo. Iraq was relatively stable when we left.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

If you asked that question in '41 would we have stopped Hitler?

Horrible bad decision to go into Iraq. Horrible bad decision to pull out by Obozo. Iraq was relatively stable when we left.

Do you honestly believe the American people would have been willing to stay in Iraq?

Do you honestly believe Congress would have let significant forces remain without a SOFA?

Do you honestly believe keeping 10K or so more troops there would have made everything hunky-dory?

This is an Iraq government that STILL doesn't want us back as an occupying army and STILL won't sign a SOFA acceptable to us.

Reread the opening line of the OP. Do you disagree?

 

[aflachawk]

"If we had stayed in Iraq after 2011, we would be well past the 4693 dead that we had in that war. We would be pushing 6000 dead troops at this point. ISIS and all these other groups would be attacking us on a minute to minute basis, and that is all you would be hearing about is the failure of us not to get out of Iraq."

--Malcolm Nance, a retired Arabic speaking U.S. counterterrorism intelligence officer and combat veteran who first worked in Iraq in 1987. He is the author of several books, including, The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014. His new piece for The Intercept is called, "ISIS Forces That Now Control Ramadi Are Ex-Baathist Saddam Loyalists."

LINK to extended discussion with Nance and journalist Patrick Cockburn.

So one guy with one opinion( and trying to sell a book) is unquestionably right?