U.S. announces 12,000 troops to leave Iraq; suicide bomber kills 30 in Baghdad

Heh, just when some in the anti-American Fringe Right were beginning to doubt we had change we could believe in, ha ha ha :-)

"Extremists have increasingly targeted Iraqi forces as they try to prove they can take over the country’s security so the American troops can go home."

But the Left has said all along that the 'insurgency' was about defending against the invading force, cuz they was gonna steal all a duh oil in Iraq and then attack Iran.

President Barack Obama has decided to remove all combat troops by the end of August 2010 with all troops gone by the end of 2011. The 4,000 British troops due to leave are the last British soldiers in Iraq.

Interesting. Never thought I'd see this happen. Altho...it hasn't happened quite yet.

The British have been holed up at Basra airport for ages after they handed over control of the city in December 2007.

Thank God they haven't been out there "spreading freedom" and "a liberatin' folks" like those American guys and gals have been.

Phew!

The Obama plan is the Bush plan.

rollonarte - "But the Left has said all along that the 'insurgency' was about defending against the invading force, cuz they was gonna steal all a duh oil in Iraq and then attack Iran."

Can I be honest with you? Do you just make this stuff up as you go along?

Please keep it up - it's real funny. :-)

Damn, this is change 12,000 American families are really going to be able to believe in!

But I think folks like rollonarte still think the U.S. government should - no, NEEDS - to keep giving billions of taxpayer dollars to foreigners....

Timesonline: "A secret deal between Britain and the notorious al-Mahdi militia prevented British Forces from coming to the aid of their US and Iraqi allies for nearly a week during the battle for Basra this year, The Times has learnt."

Not your grandfather's army, son.

rollonarte - "The Obama plan is the Bush plan" - um, yeah, in the same way as keeping forces there is the same as bringing them on home. :-)

rollonarte, please keep posting about soldiers in battle from the comfort of your armchair.

Would you like an extra pillow with your latte? :-)

rollonarte said:

The Obama plan is the Bush plan.

How can that be, when the Obama plan was clearly never to have entered Iraq in the first place?

But if you mean Obama's plan was to clean up Bush's mess just like Bush's plan was to clean up Bush's mess then I guess you have a point.

It's the lefts fought and we shouldn't be trying to leave Iraq. It's the rights idea that the left is wrong and I guess we're supposed to stay forever. The right never remembers that their hero, george bush, screwed up and started something he couldn't handle.

Are we supposed to stay for another 100 years because of the bush's bungling and the right's thirst for war? < :-)

Its good to see Obama making a sharp about-face and listening to George Bush's Generals. He arrogantly went against the advice of these Generals voting against the surge when he was out there on the campaign trail kowtowing the votes of the extreme left.

I am still amazed that there are still line ups for police recruits. It is kind of "fuq you" to the suicide bombers to continue to risk life and limb just to sign up to be a police officer to ... well ... risk life and limb.

God it must really piss people off when promises are kept.

VOR: The vote on the surge was when? There has been no recent about-face by Obama since he repeatedly said during his campaign that he would listen to the Generals. How in the world could he have gotten to be president if he did not clearly state his intention to listen to them? And the Generals seem very pleased that they have a president that listens and consults with them.

He voted against the surge at a time when he was shopping his cut and run strategy with the left wing arm of the Democratic party. Now that he is the president, to the dismay of Code Pink and other fringe groups, he can't afford to be so reckless. Good on him for following George Bush's game plan despite voting against it.

America needs to bring our boys home and protect America. Sending troops overseas violates the most conservative of all lines of thought - the Monroe Doctrine. We need to be at home, protecting our own, while the rest of the world learns how to grow up and be the adults that America has been for 300 years now.

True conservatives know that overseas wars are pointless. If there is something to be gained, we can hire other nations to do the work. They need the money. The US already has it all. It is a state called perfection. None may touch it.

VOR: Getting American troops out of Iraq has always been something Obama supported long before Bush's "game plan". He also advocated a responsible withdrawal in deep consultation with the Generals, which he has done and continues to do. Regardless of what Bush decided in the dying days of his tenure, Obama was always going to do what he is currently doing.

Pretty entertaining stuff here. Crowing that Obama has kept his promise (to implement a plan the Bush admin drew up) is apparently the closest the anti-liberation Left can come to admitting that US forces, sent to Iraq with overwhelming support from both our major parties, have won the victory they sought.

rollonarte - claiming the U.S. has achieved 'victory' in Iraq, is like saying the Titanic is 'unsinkable' before her maiden voyage.

But the Fringe Right has proven again and again that they will say anything to push their anti-American agenda.

"Iraqi military and police still need weapons"

Sell some awl and buy 'em!

As we leave the violence will escalate, but now that we have dedicated ourselves to pulling out we must not look back. Anyone who has fooled themselves into thinking that the terrorist elements in Iraq will cool off once our forces are gone will be sadly mistaken.

The only way we could have 'won' the Iraq war would have been to engauge in the practice of total war, but nobody in washington would want that on their conscience. That being the case the only logical conslusion was withdrawal as it will be in Afghanistan. They will recruit more and more even as we kill them, so long as they believe they can win (or at the very least not lose) they will keep going, so long as they have some semblance of hope we cant win. But no country is willing to strip them of it once and for all, and until somebody is we are doomed to failure.

TheQuestion,

I could not agree more.

The only way to totally win is genocide and genocide is absolutely NOT victory.

That's why many of us were against it in the first place. My father always told me, "don't fight a fight you cannot win."

This is a perfect example of one.

Taka

I think we should tell them the exact time we are leaving, I mean, screw strategy, right?

easycord: Yeah, why are we telling them when we will leave? The guys who want to cause trouble are only going to wait it out and then rush in.

I think if we are going to leave then leave without saying a word.

I hope no one is really getting too excited; the first troop withdrawals do not occur for another six months. A complete pull out is not even on the table. Obama is planning to leave 50,000 troops in country after 2010 so this report has more to do with making it seem like Obama is keeping his word when in fact he isn't doing anything different then George Bush. I'm actually glad he turned his back on his promises to his left wing supporters and acting responsibly.

VOR - I really don't think many people are taking your posts very seriously.

VOR, Barack Obama said he'd talk to his troops.

He went from 16 months to 18 months in his plan to take out the troops after talking to the generals. The same generals who wanted more troops in Iraq that george bush never listen to.

He's keeping his pledge. < :-)

"The withdrawals, which will most likely come from Baghdad and Anbar province, once main battlefields of the war, are the first step in keeping with President Barack Obama’s pledge to end America’s role in the war."

Only a misguided Republican could be against this.

The previous president (if you can call him that) was all for a war without end that would drain U.S. economic resources.

Republicans backed GWB's strategy, and OBL even stated that bankrupting America was one of his key goals.

Now that Bush and co. have achieved OBL's goal, Republicans are left high and dry, gasping for air and anything they can use to advance their anti-American agenda.

Republicans need to stop the childish sniping and get in behind their new president.

Should they wish to advance their agenda, Republicans need to

1/ choose a credible leader

2/ Educate the bunch of yahoos who call themselves 'supporters' about the real world.

So far, they have done neither.

When the last U.S. troops leave a free Iraq at the end of 2011, I hope President Obama will thank his predecessor for making the decisions making it possible.

Sarge, why would Barack Obama thank george bush for starting a war to satisfy his need to be the war president? Why would Obama thank bush for starting a war that killed over 4,000, etc... you know the facts and cost this country over $2Trillion?

When we pull our last troops out of Iraq we'll still be paying for decades for his blunder.

Get the troops out of Iraq. Do the job in Afghanistan and bring our troops home. < :-)

Its comical seeing the chattering class who disagreed with everything Bush did supporting Obama carrying out Bush strategy. I know it must be really difficult for those that want to believe that Obama is something more than your typical lying politician, but c'mon fellas, Obama ran as the anti war candidate and he is not keeping his word to you guys and to the American people. Eventually Obama's lies will catch up to him but it doesn't appear the most ardent members of his cult will snap out of it any time soon, so rest assurred, I will be here pointing to people who stop by JT that Obama lied about pulling out of Iraq. BTW, anybody know how many troops have been killed in Iraq since Obama took office? Its funny how that's not important anymore. Less than two years to the mid term election.

Get the troops out of Iraq. Do the job in Afghanistan and bring our troops home. < :-)

Don't tell Sarge, tell Obama who told the American public he would pull out of Iraq but now plans on leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq after 2010.

Sarge - your as yet unborn grandkids are going to be paying for the mistaken votes of their grandfather.

Think they are going to be happy about it? :-)

Are you going to be man enough to tell them that your 2 votes for GWB bankrupted their futures?

I read these post from those who would love to see our troops still at war still in Iraq at the end of Obama's first term. They have supported george bush's brainless adventures into playing being president instead of realy being a president for the masses and instead a president for the few (rich, richer and richest of the US).

They look for the troops to stay in Iraq for as long as possible. It makes no sense that they would still want our troops in Iraq. They want Obama to fail. < :-)

Sushi - How do you know I don't already have grandkids? And if I do, they're going to be paying way more for the mistakes of the current president than the previous president.

VOR do you want the troops out of Iraq?

Do you want these wars over with? < :-)

no daydream, we want Obama to tell the truth which he appears incapable of. maybe thats okay with his cult but its not okay with everyone else. Obama lies and people die.

Do you want these wars over with? < :-)

Most certainly. I am anti war and I believe we can remove ourselves from the problems of the middle east as soon as our economy is no longer dependent on their oil.

Obama's lies as you call them haven't gotten anybody killed. He never started the war in Iraq. He didn't lie to take troops into Iraq. He didn't do a single thing to get troops killed or put in harms way. No matter what you think, these are george bush's wars.

Back to the original questions, do you want the troops out of Iraq? Do you want the wars over? Or are you incapable of answering those simple questions without diverging off to some right wing tangent. < :-)

"bring our troops home ( from Afghanistan after getting the job done there )"

Heh, President Obama is just now getting started on sending more troops there, instead of getting our allies to help out - it's going to be up to his successor to bring all our troops home from there.

VOR - "Obama ran as the anti war candidate and he is not keeping his word to you guys and to the American people."

Once again, you are twisting facts - Obama said the real "war on terror" is in Afghanistan (hence, more U.S. forces should be in that country.)

He also said he would draw down the war in Iraq.

Despite your shriekings, he is doing exactly what he said he would do.

VOR - "it doesn't appear the most ardent members of his cult"

You just directly insulted the majority of Americans with one ill-thought out statement. :-)

Oh, and VOR, it's the thinking of people like yourself that put a bomb under Bush.

For that, I must thank you. :-)

Sarge - "Sushi - How do you know I don't already have grandkids?"

If I were honest in my reply, the Moderator would zap it, but I think most of us on JT would agree. :-)

Sarge - "And if I do, they're going to be paying way more for the mistakes of the current president than the previous president."

You sure about that? I mean, for the first time since 2000, your once-proud nation now has a pro-American president who is putting Americans before foreigners.

Have you factored that into your opinions?

"He never started the war in Iraq"

No, the former dictator of Iraq started that, and Bush pretty much ended it. All the president has to do now is follow Bush's plan and we can leave Iraq in victory.

Sushi - If you were honest in your reply, you'd say, "I admit I don't know."

Sarge, where did you get your history book? From Rush Limbaugh? george bush lined the troops on the border. george bush started a war based on lies. george bush attacked Iraq.

he took his eye off Afghanistan, the reason we went to the middle east, and spent 6 years killing Americans and Iraqis.

Sarge your hero wasted over $2Trillion and you support the decline of the America to fill george bush's ego.

Good job Sarge. < :-)

Sarge - "No, the former dictator of Iraq started that, and Bush pretty much ended it."

Sarge, I think it's about time you faced up to the facts.

Bush started a war against a nation that was not a threat to the U.S.

GWB and co. burnt through $2-3 TRILLION to battle it out against a tinpot bunch of angry men that humbled the U.S. military so badly that your nation is likely never going to be able to declare victory.

You go on and on about Saddam being a "threat."

He wasn't.

And your government at the time knew it.

Now - thanks in part to your support for the previous adminstration, your nation is completely and utterly bankrupt.

Think your as-yet unborn grandkids are going to think granddad is a wise old man?

Methinks not.....

And Sarge, you can rest easy knowing that your 2 votes for GWB helped accomplish one of OBL's main stated aims - to bankrupt America.

Your 2 votes helped OBL.

Happy? :-)

Sarge - "Heh, President Obama is just now getting started on sending more troops there, instead of getting our allies to help out."

Heh, that's because the previous president - the one you supported whole-heartedly - balls up bigtime on the the diplomatic front.

Sarge - "No, the former dictator of Iraq started that."

WHAT? So, now you're claiming Saddam Hussein started the war?

Sorry, but are you sober??? I don't think any sober person would make a claim as patently incorrect as that, honestly.

adaydream/SushiSake3 - You two haven't learned a thing over the past few years, have you?

"george bush started a war based on lies"

George Bush finished ( well, nearly finished ) an unfinished war based on an invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

"Your 2 votes helped OBL"

That must be why we haven't seen OBL's face since 2001, and, if the guy is really still alive, has been reduced to hiding in caves, and, his organization is running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

man oh man you guys are so avoiding the reality that Obama lied to you. When he told the world; more importantly the American people, the first thing he would do as president is pull the troops out of Iraq. People that didn't know any better, took him at his word. Why are you making excuses for the guy?

Obama's lies as you call them haven't gotten anybody killed. He never started the war in Iraq. He didn't lie to take troops into Iraq. He didn't do a single thing to get troops killed or put in harms way. No matter what you think, these are george bush's wars.

Do I need to remind you that Barrack Obama is the current president of the united states and commander in chief of the united states armed forces. he is the one making the decisions now and responsibility rests with the decision maker. i'm not finding fault with the decisions he's making, i am simply pointing out that the guy lied about pulling the troops out of Iraq.

VOR - "it doesn't appear the most ardent members of his cult" You just directly insulted the majority of Americans with one ill-thought out statement. :-)

the cult is made up of people that think Obama is capable of only telling the truth and are more than willing to go along with any of his ill conceived schemes. i hardly think the majority of Americans fall into this category.

WHAT? So, now you're claiming Saddam Hussein started the war?

sushi, you are operating from a position of ignorance. The United States went to war with the overwhelming majority of congress and with the full authority of UN resolutions. I now know why you are confused, the Democrats ran like chickens when things were going badly and blamed it all on George Bush. You fell for it.

VOR george bush put troops into Iraq, not Barack Obama. Obama inherited the george bush Memorial War in Iraq.

Now what were Obama's lies? Be specific. Did he not say he'd bring them out in 16 months? But, he said he'd talk to his generals in the field. He'd listen to them and pull them out as fast as possible, responsibily.

So he changed his plan from 16 to 18 months because he talked to his generals and got their input. Like he said he'd do.

So his lies are? Do you remember george bush's lies? < :-)

VOR - again, you just directly insulted the majority of Americans with one ill-thought out statement. :-)

I think one of the funniest things about the GOP and their supporters at the moment, is that they are unwittingly fighting to see who can be the most irrelevant.

It's neck and neck with no clear winner. :-)

VOR george bush put troops into Iraq, not Barack Obama.

George Bush and the United States Congress put the troops in Iraq.

Barrack Obama is now the commander in chief. When Barack Obama showed up in congress just four years ago and then shortly therafter when he started his presidential campaign, he was adamant about pulling the troops out of Iraq. If he meant reducing the number of troops in Iraq, he should have said it that way. He clearly lied. Why are you making excuses for these lies? Or if you don't see them as lies, why don't you recognize them as such and when are you going to snap out of it?

VOR - again, you just directly insulted the majority of Americans with one ill-thought out statement. :-)

really, how so?

VOR - "sushi, you are operating from a position of ignorance. The United States went to war with the overwhelming majority of congress and with the full authority of UN resolutions. I now know why you are confused, the Democrats ran like chickens when things were going badly and blamed it all on George Bush. You fell for it."

Sorry, you just tried to change the focus.

I called out Sarge for claiming - falsely - that Saddam Hussein started the 2003 Iraq War.

I know even he does not believe his own words.

You going off on a tangent about UN resolutions doesn't support your (as yet unknown) point or Sarge's for that matter.

I think one of the funniest things about the GOP and their supporters at the moment, is that they are unwittingly fighting to see who can be the most irrelevant.

When the left is on the run, they resort to meaningless taunts which deserve no further response. C ya fellas. Oh and have a good day.

VOR

he was adamant about pulling the troops out of Iraq. If he meant reducing the number of troops in Iraq, he should have said it that way. He clearly lied.

If he walked into office and just pulled the troops out without disgard to loss of life and limb, you'd piss and moan. He plans on taking them out safely, you piss and moan saying he lied.

george bush and dick cheney put forward a textbook of lies to persuade the congress to accept his pre-emptive strike plans.

The congess was lied to. The congress was given a bad dream as truth and they unknowingly allowed george bush to start the war. The congress wasn't given the truth. The American people weren't given the truth. george bush lied. But you support his lies I presume, based on your posts. < :-)

VOR, your implication was clear that those who voted for Obama are 'cultists.'

Really, when the Fringe Right runs dry of arguments, so too does their creativity, evidently, :-)

But that's not surprising, I mean, how can you push a case when you don't have one? :-)

Oh, and Sarge, once again - contrary to your statement - Saddam Hussein in fact, did not start the Iraq War. :-)

George Bush did that.

Moderator: Readers, Saddam Hussein is not relevant to this discussion.

Still a a long ways to go.

"all the King's horses and all the King's Men couldn't put Humpty together again."

oh I see, when Bush lies bad, when Obama lies, no problem-o. Talk about a lack of credibility. You guys take the cake.

"rollonarte at 06:29 PM JST - 1st March

Looks like the historically crucial second free and democratic election, which liberated Iraq recently held and which produced no sign of anything that would invalidate it, provides the conclusive proof that the American and coalition forces most definitely achieved V I C T O R Y."

V I C T O R Y indeed. I guess now the radicals will be switching back to the Iraq violence being President Obama's fault.

bah. Obama has enough wiggle room in his "get the troops out" policies to keep them there until the cows come home. There are going to be US troops in Iraq for a long time. I've got Y10,000 that says there will still be a significant number (let's use 10,000 again) there at the end of Obama's first term.

VOR you still haven't said what his lies were.

Please tell me what Obama "lied" about? < :-)

ca1ic0cat that's about $75.00 USD?

I'd take you on that bet, as long as whoever loses donates that amount to their favorite charity. At the end of Obama's 1st term I say that all the US troops will be out of Iraq. < :-)

the President has no say over what the Army will do there guy.

The President is our Commander-in-Chief. He has FINAL say over what the Army (and the Navy, Air Force, and Marines) will do anywhere in the world.

You want to make it end sooner there guy? Them sign up for the army there guy and stop being a cowardly liberal/European there guy.

Practice what you preach. www.goarmy.com www.navy.com www.airforce.com www.marines.com

Put down the bong, there guy. Sheesh.

Let Iraq sort out their dirty laundry and lets concentrate on Afghanistan because our Europeen mates are being rather lame over there doing not much of anything. Thank God there are North Americans there doing their job. These troops will be needed to take up the slack.

Please tell me what Obama "lied" about? < :-)

One more time for those that do not pay attention:

Obama campaigned to remove all troops from Iraq and not staying in Iraq in any form. Both Hillary Clinton and John McCain slammed him on that and he became much more guarded with the wording he used leaving whatever his plan would be open to interpretation. For those that he led to believe he was pulling completely out of Iraq, he lied.

Leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq beyond 2010 is certainly not a complete pull-out he led many to believe. The number of troops staying in country has the markings of establishing permanent bases. 50,000 troops are about the number that would be needed to support 2-3 army/air force bases and a naval facility.

Again for the edification of those that weren't able grasp my initial argument or too far gone following their preferred political dogma to understand that I don't disagree with the president on this issue, he is actually doing the right thing as President of the United States, I am merely bringing up the fact that he lied to the very people that voted for him. Those paying attention knew he was lying when he said it and further confirmed when he started being more careful with the words he used during the latter part of his campaign.

Those expecting change from Obama aren't getting it. Obama is simply instituting George Bush's Plan B. Unfortunately for the Code Pink crew, Obama isn't fulfilling his anti war promises and it will be very interesting to watch what develops between him and the most strident activist on the left. Hopefully he doesn't tie the hands of his military. Not only will that get more of our people killed but at some point the United States would end up losing face having to retreat ala Clinton and his Somalia retreat.

VOR you only want to rememebr a portion of it. You want to take a few of the sound bites and forget a few key words. Barack Obama said he'd have the troops out within 16 months. But first he would talk to his generals on the ground and take their advise. He would not put the troops in harms way, taking them out.

So after he was inaugurated he had a meeting with his generals and after he spoke to them and only after talking to them did he decide on 18 months 8/31/2010 and leaving 30,000 to 50,000, to be withdrawl by 12/31/2011. He was very upfront on that.

After that Gates had a press conferance and stated that he thought that Obama had carried out his plans to announce a pull out and that this was a good plan.

Barack Obama didn't lie. You only heard what you wanted to hear. < :-)

Pf-f-f-f-t VOR, John McCain never wanted to bring them out of Iraq. Remember the 100 year statement? < :-)

12/31/2011 will be nearly 3 years from the time Obama took office. You think people that voted for the anti war candidate following the Bush time line do not consider Obama's campaign promises a lie? You and those like you willing to turn a blind eye or make excuses for Obama may not, but there is a growing contingency on the left that sees this as an act of betrayal.

Pf-f-f-f-t VOR, John McCain never wanted to bring them out of Iraq. Remember the 100 year statement? < :-)

I remember McCain being honest with the American people and he used the 100 years as a possibility. The left grabbed hold of it and misrepresented McCains statement to the American public. One of a long list of dirty tricks used by the Democrats in the past election. Thats okay, less than two years to the mid term election.

You and those like you willing to turn a blind eye or make excuses for Obama may not, but there is a growing contingency on the left that sees this as an act of betrayal.

And as long as the Republican "party" continues its out-of-control downward spiral, that "growing contingency on the left" will continue seeing the Republicans as the greater betrayers.

Thats okay, less than two years to the mid term election.

It certainly is okay; we Democrats (Americans) are gonna hand you Republicans (traitors) your asses yet again. Care to bet?

VOR would you be happier if he just kept his campaign promise and pulled every single troops out within 16 months and to hell with safety or ensuring that the Iraqis are left in control.

The truth is, you wish that John McCain had won and nothing that Barack Obama does will be right. I do understand.

I'm happy with Obama's actions. Good evening. < :-)

VOR would you be happier if he just kept his campaign promise and pulled every single troops out within 16 months and to hell with safety or ensuring that the Iraqis are left in control.

Already answered that one

the truth is, you wish that John McCain had won and nothing that Barack Obama does will be right. I do understand

nope. McCain losing was actually a good thing. McCain would have been worse than Obama in my opinion.

the troops cannot be summarily, in contrite haste or otherwise, be withdrawn from the field operations prematurely - it would be costly and detrimental to the financial interests.

...and this is just the beginning. Thanks a lot, Mr. President.....

Obamas Iraq plan is working splendidly!

The only difference is now that the swooning media won´t blame it on the Potus this time around.

"The only difference is now that the swooning media won´t blame it on the Potus this time around."

Only an blubbering idiot would try to blame Obama for the diasterous invasion of his predecesor.

Amazingly enough, some posters appear to have acheived that level.

WilliB, Barack Obama has only had <60 days.

Your hero george bush had 5 years 10 mos. Obama is doing fine. Your idol george bush left a holy mess.

It's funny how you blame Obama for bush's disaster. < :-)

WilliB, Barack Obama has had less than 60 days.

george bush had over 5years 10months.

Obama is doing great with bush's disaster.

But you fail to put the blame where it actually lies.

No surprise. < :-)

Yet, adaydream, what is the reason that President Obama is haivng it so good with Iraq? Could it be because of the troop surge strategy that worked two years ago when implemented by President Bush? President O's draw-down announcement then this suicide attack coming immediately after is really no surprise...

Yet, adaydream, what is the reason that President Obama is haivng it so good with Iraq? Could it be because of the troop surge strategy that worked two years ago when implemented by President Bush? President O's draw-down announcement then this suicide attack coming immediately after is really no surprise...

I'm sure this guy decided that he wouldn't blow himself up until the next President announced his plan. : /

This homicide bomber's massacre may've been in response to President Obama's leanin' toward the practice of 'rendition' in place of 'Guantanamo'.

The lefties don't know how well their friends in Guantanamo had it under Bush. Now instead of first-rate dental care, their mates'll be pickin' their teeth up off the floor... that's if they still have any workin' bones in their fingers.

More bombin's to come?

The JT headline for this article is very misleading. It appears to connect two mutually independent events in chronological order i.e the suicide attack occurred because of US announcement of troop withdrawal.

daydream:

" Pf-f-f-f-t VOR, John McCain never wanted to bring them out of Iraq. Remember the 100 year statement? < :-) "

I do remember. I also remember the full statement, which says the opposite of your abbreviated soundbyte. But I suppose polemical soundbytes are more important than a serious discussion.