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Should our troops be brought home?

haste

haste

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The opposition promises to bring back the troops from Iraq should it come back to power - what are your thoughts? I know that alot of people, well the majority, don't agree with them being there in the first place - but now that they're there, is there a job for them apart from being lap dogs to the Americans?

The situation in Iraq is now being dubbed as the "new Vietnam", a growing collection of guerilla warfare scenario's that can't be won - and if the case may be this, we no doubt will be dragged into this as we did in Vietnam.

I seen an interview last night with a retired General who believes that we should never have been there in the first place - but now that we are committed, we have to stay. Why? In order to save our relationship and good standing with the US Government.

It makes me wonder whether our relationship with the US would be jeopardised if we pulled out - and if so, what exactly the implications may be. Have we backed ourselves into a corner we can't get out?

I think our troops should be brought home - whatever the original reasons may have been for intervention, things have changed into internal unrest that we have no part to play in.

And to harp back on Vietnam, its amazing how the country seemed to unify itself as soon as the Americans pulled out.
 
I agree. We did our bit, they have no use for them there now and they should be brought home.

I actually think this escalating violence thats's happening there now would be reduced should the troops be moved out.
 
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haste said:
And to harp back on Vietnam, its amazing how the country seemed to unify itself as soon as the Americans pulled out.
Click to expand...

A common evil enemy.... :\
 
yes, bring em home!

it's not our war, we should never have gone..

unfortunately, once again, money is what is ruling our decisions, not our morals...

if we didnt send our troops, the US would make it difficult for us to trade with them....


dirty fuckers...:X
 
I have to disagree. Don't bring them home until the job is done. Now is when we need to be strong and not crumble under the pressure.
 
middle finger said:
I have to disagree. Don't bring them home until the job is done. Now is when we need to be strong and not crumble under the pressure.
Click to expand...

I'm kinda torn both ways but if we leave now we are no better than the yanks.
They have a reputation for moving in and causing total mayhem before fucking off leaving some poor people to clean up the mess.
I don't agree with us bein' there... but now we've fucked up everything we should at least stay to help them fix their society.
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PEACE
 
Haste im really glad that you decide to post this thread. For the first time in a very long I have strong feelings about the political decisions that our government is making and the effect that it will have on our community and Australia as a whole.

In the recent days I have watched and read with interest some spinnets about both sides of the governements stance on this situtaion. I think that the media coverage and questions by most reporters have even been of greater quality. Perhaps because the seriousness of the situation in Iraq has risen (if thats possible), or perhaps because there really is not much room to ''sensationalise'' the situation I feel that the media seems to be reporting the situation - rather than dictating it.

Firstly I would like to agree that Australia should definately have a role in supporting peace keeping missions and also assist upholding the basic rights that we uphold here in this country. This last sentence is such a grey area because the values and morals the we support and adore within this country are not traditional values that Iraq have had. Because the reasons behind the war were not primarly focused on the ''humanitarian'' side of things, rather the oil/money issue - we have been in a difficult situation from the start.

The agenda for the US occupation is focused on the oil - not the people. The people of Iraq and the atrocities committed against them were/are a conveinent way to justify occupation. I think you will find that there are many countries out there that are experienceing the same, if not worse atrocities, however beacuse there is no benefit to intervien - nobody is. (eastern europe coutries)

From an emotional point of view I feel proud that Mark Lathem has taken the position of working out an exit stratergy for out troops. I feel that the concept of the world thinking - ''..well, those Aussies realise its not working and are taking a step back....'' is something that will enrich our image. Our image of a country that is understanding and reasonable, an image that presents with a sense of goodness.

Would the relationship be jepordised? - It depends, but i think not. I dont think it would be an issue if the Australian Governement made it clear of how unreasonable the situation is but remained assertive about it. Quite simply we are not calling the shots about what happens in Iraq, and more likely than not will never do so. The USA knows this. Why shoudl our military involvement have anything to do with the price of our Imports and Exports? Can anybody comfirm or deny that in the World Trade Summits that Military involvement is a key factor in decidedin the rates and relationships on imports/exports and other financial issues?


In saying this I think that Australia should not have NOTHING to do with the conflict that is happening. We have military resources and for right or wrong the resources need to be utilised. Support in a peace keeping focus should be utilised, however only when there is peace. At the moment there is not peace, and until the 2 parites, the USA and the Iraq people can come to an agreement as to how the country should be run we should take a step back.

papermate.
 
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I am in the army and i am beng sent over to the sandpit mid july.....i cant wait to go over there and all you civvys who want us to not go are being unfair....think about us and what our opinions might be before saying we shouldnt go......we join the army so we get to do this shit.
 
^^ I think the issue is more whether we belong there rather than if our troops want to be there.
 
Shit.
Just heard on the news of the three Japanese hostages taken... and of the attack on a number of US fuel-tankers.
It is alledged a US-contractor has been taken hostage (I.E. Non-military personel).
The shit is certainly hitting the fan and I fear [as i'm sure many others do, that there is a LOT more to come.
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PEACE
 
I think we should pull out contingent of 890 or so troops out of Iraq because we should not have gone in there to begin with.

Our contingent is so small it will make no difference whether they stay or go.

If we should have troops anywhere it should be in Afghanistan searching for the real terrorists who masterminded September 11.
 
middle finger said:
I have to disagree. Don't bring them home until the job is done. Now is when we need to be strong and not crumble under the pressure.
Click to expand...


Wholey agree with middle finger on this one, we are already there why not leave them there to finish the job they are there for.
 
If the Americans do pull out of Iraq, do our forces remain there to finish the job they are there for?

Do you honestly think they would remain, or would they follow suit and get out - therefore putting into question why they're there?

Obviously our forces are too small to remain on their own, so they would leave - but I just can't help feeling we are lap dogs.
 
Maybe if the Yanks did pull out and our troops stayed they might start getting along with Iraq forces and ppl more better, we as aust are not generally arrogant pigs like alot of yanks, and I see that as there main downfall
 
Debating about whether the yanks will pull out is somewhat of a moot point. George Bush definitely isn't going to pull out and John Kerry the Democrat Presidential nominee has said he will leave US troops in Iraq until some semblance of national government autonomy is restored.
 
If it follows the footsteps of Vietnam, I think you'll find the yanks will pull out.

Seen an interview with some high order retired military staff - they all suggest that if things get out of control as they did in Vietnam, the adiministration will fabiricate a plan to make seem that they are no longer needed and therefore exit gracefully.

I think they already realise the mess they have created and would be actively seeking an exit - I don't even think they'll want to remain in a lawless country flogging a dead horse - which is exactly what they have created.

Will be interersting to see the action they take.
 
If they do such a thing it'll just be another contradiction to all the bullshit they have spun about freeing the Iraqi people from oppression and terror and the sort.
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I feel so sorry for all those people who have had their lives unnecessarily torn apart.
:(
PEACE
 
It's going to take a long time for the yanks to clean this mess. It's now turned into a guerrilla war where it's hard to discern who the enemy is amongst the civillians. You can't win a guerrilla war unless you're on home turf, this is the pattern.

If they leave now, then sadams troops will regroup and have the trigger on the new puppet government. Eventually Americans and their allies will leave, a country scared for at least 3 generations.

This all comes down to an illegal war. They went to war stating that they were going to rid Iraq of chemical and biological weapons... which we all know, they didn't find. Then the action plan changed, they didnt find chemical weapons so they just decided to turn the war into a manhunt on Sadam Hussein.

Sure Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator and I am happy he isn't head of state of Iraq anymore but there are many dictators that exists in many nations today, particularly some African nations. Why aren't we fair? and go rid the world of dictators? I'd be happy, this would step the planet into the future. But for the United States, it's just not worth the effort and the investment that is war. A new Iraqi governement selling you cheap oil and paying off a mortgage for the new infrastructure makes a lot more sense - and dollars!

I got a bit off topic, just wanted to say that our troops shouldn't have been there in the first place but no matter what prime minister was in office in the day, they would have done exactly what the United States told them and gone to war when they said so because of strong cultural ties that Australia share with the United States and Britian.

Peace.
 
i'm not sure.

i was as opposed to this war/invasion as anyone could have been, and i totally disagree with our troops -or any- being there at all.

but now i'm torn between the two because i worry that the iraqis themselves would just be under more threat if we pull out now. i don't know, i think i'd still prefer us out, but i can see both sides.
 
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