bobby_cahill

UNBELIEVABLE !!! HELP THOSE THAT CAN NOT HELP THEMSELVES. JAPAN COMES TO MIND. IRAQI'S CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN IF THEY WOULD STOP PLAYING POLITICS AND HOLDING PI**ING CONTESTS !! APOLOGIES, HAD TO VOICE MY DISGUST OVER THIS. Very well said! +1 Thanks for the post Semper Fi

By LARA JAKES, Associated Press Lara Jakes, Associated Press – 7 mins ago BAGHDAD – The American invasion of Iraq was supposed to take only a few months: a quick blitz to depose dictator Saddam Hussein, find and dismantle weapons of mass destruction and go home. Eight years later, thousands of U.S. troops remain in Iraq — and their mission may not be accomplished until far into the future. Despite a security agreement requiring a full U.S. military withdrawal by the year's end, hundreds if not thousands of American soldiers will continue to be in Iraq beyond 2012. Just how many will stay is the heart of a tense and hushed debate among U.S. and Iraqi officials who want the fragile democracy to stand alone for the first time since the U.S.-led war began on March 20, 2003 — but fear it could fall apart without military support. "Nobody wants foreign forces in his country, but sometimes the situation on the ground has the final say on such matters," said Sunni lawmaker Yassin al-Mutlaq in an interview this week. "Right now, nobody can decide." There are about 47,000 American troops in Iraq now, down from an October 2007 peak of 166,000. As of this week, 4,439 U.S. forces have been killed and the war has cost taxpayers more than $750 billion. U.S. military officials and Western diplomats in Baghdad say the number of troops now being considered to stay ranges from a few hundred who would work under the U.S. Embassy, to the tens of thousands, likely clustered in bases far off the beaten path where they will have little interaction with Iraqi civilians. A senior adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the U.S. is quietly suggesting to Iraqi officials that up to 20,000 troops stay. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, and American officials repeatedly have refused to discuss how many troops might remain if Iraq asks for a continued large force. The troop quandary underscores what has become a political game of chicken between Baghdad and Washington. Both al-Maliki, who barely won a second term last year, and President Barack Obama, who faces re-election in 2012, would face a political disaster with their base supporters if they agree to keep thousands of U.S. forces in Iraq beyond Dec. 31. Obama, a Democrat, also is grappling with a Republican House that is more keen on budget-cutting than war-fighting than in years past. Yet neither al-Maliki nor Obama want to be blamed for losing the war if Iraq is overrun by widespread insurgent attacks or sectarian fighting after U.S. troops leave. Violence has dropped sharply from just a few years ago, when scores of people were killed each day in the ***-for-tat battles between Iraq's Muslim Shiite majority and former Sunni ruling class that brought the country to the brink of civil war. But deadly bombings and shootings continue daily, and danger zones remain in the capital, in ethnically mixed cities in the north and at religious shrines in the south that attract pilgrims and tourists. Baghdad political analyst Hadi Jalo said al-Qaida and former Baathists who led Saddam's regime are likely to launch "big attacks in order to shake the government and show its weakness" after American troops withdraw. "I expect that Iraq will face a security tsunami," Jalo said. "On the other hand, if the U.S. forces stay after 2011, al-Maliki will face a problem of a different kind. Any such move will anger his traditional Shiite allies, as well as Iran and Syria. Now and later, al-Maliki cannot afford the wrath of these three supporters." Like Congress, Iraq's parliament is torn over whether the troops should stay. In Baghdad, al-Maliki advisers say he is considering pushing the decision to the legislature to give himself political cover. Chief among al-Maliki's concerns is vehement opposition by the Shiite religious hardline followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who demanded as recently as Tuesday for the U.S. "occupiers" to leave on schedule or face potential retaliation. The senior al-Maliki adviser said the Shiite prime minister ultimately may approve continued U.S. troops, but require the 325-seat parliament to ratify his move by a two-thirds majority. Achieving that vote margin would be all but impossible in the face of the Iranian-linked Sadrist opposition. "We strongly refuse any extension of the U.S. military staying in Iraq, and I personally will work from within to prevent it from happening," said Sadrist lawmaker Hakim al-Zamili, who sits on parliament's national security committee. "Our problems are because of the very presence of the invaders." Still, the government acknowledges that it cannot protect itself from foreign threats. Last summer, Iraqi military commander Gen. Babaker Shawkat Zebari predicted the country will need allied air support — including fighter jets and spy planes — for another decade before the nation's air force is able to defend its borders. Al-Maliki's decision last month to delay the purchase of 18 U.S. F-16 fighter jets, and spend the money on food rations for Iraq's poor, fueled new speculation he plans to ask thousands of American pilots and soldiers to stay. Kurdish lawmaker Ashwak al-Jaf said Iraqi forces are still unprepared to protect the nation — largely because they appear to be loyal to political and sectarian allegiances instead of the entire country. The U.S. has spent more than $22 billion since 2004 to train and equip Iraq's security forces. "I see the American presence as the safety valve," she said in an interview this week. "Their presence is an absolute must to ensure security. We will vote for the U.S. military to stay." U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey has predicted that no more than several hundred active-duty troops and other Defense Department employees will remain in Iraq beyond this year as part of a security office run by the American Embassy in Baghdad. Their mission will be to continue training and otherwise helping Iraqi forces with logistics, such as buying and maintaining military equipment. But for anything beyond that, Washington insists the Iraqis must ask. Already, U.S. forces in Iraq are packing up and preparing to leave. "This government is very open to a continuing presence that would be larger where we could help the Iraqis for a period of time," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a House panel last month. But, he added: "Our presence is not popular in Iraq. I think the (Iraqi) leaders understand the need for this kind of help, but no one wants to be the first one out there supporting it. So we will continue that dialogue. But at the end of the day, the initiative has to come from the Iraqis. They have to ask for it." ___ Associated Press Writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Ahmed Sami Fattah in Baghdad, Sameer N. Yacoub in Amman, Jordan, and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_eight_years_later

Great find! Could be an INTERESTING week ahead Good luck everyone Semper Fi

You make some good points, but i doubt VERY seriously this RV has anything to do with Pres Obama and his re-election He's a lame duck Prez with no support here or worldwide This is about Iraq and it's people, not us. The people of Iraq will make this happen, not us Besides the Rothchilds control everything money related Good luck everyone Semper Fi

If this was the case, why didn't he "approve" the RV back in November of 2010 when he lost control of the House and his leverage I doubt this will go much further Semper Fi

Chesty would be proud Thanks for the video Semper Fi

Those two were hard to choose from, love both Since im past my Rock n Roll days, i'll go with Marc Anthonys "You Sang To Me" Great "Idea" topic! Semper Fi

Yes Iraq has buttloads of oil, but.......... A currency is only as strong as the government that backs it Lets hope they get it together and soon Good luck to all Semper Fi

Gotta give it up for Mr Scooter! If not for his hard work, i doubt i would be as comfortable in this investment Thanks for all that you do! Semper Fi

By NABIL AL-JURANI, Associated Press Nabil Al-jurani, Associated Press – 2 mins ago BAGHDAD – Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators massed Thursday in the southern city of Basra to demand the local governor's ouster while protesters elsewhere stormed a local government building, the latest examples of the anger sweeping the country over poor government services and high unemployment. About 600 people gathered in front of the Basra provincial headquarters, facing off against police who were protecting the building. With the exception of some pushing and shoving, witnesses said the protest was largely peaceful. "We are demanding that the Basra governor be fired because he has not done anything good for Basra," said Mohammed Ali Jasim, a 50-year-old father of nine who came out to the protest in Iraq's second-largest city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. In Nasir, (168 miles) 270 kilometers south of Baghdad, dozens of angry protesters stormed into the municipal building, setting fire to it, a police official in the provincial capital of Nasiriyah said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Five policemen were wounded after protesters hurled stones at the building and five protesters were arrested before a curfew was imposed on the town, the officer said. Such small-scale demonstrations have happened almost daily across the impoverished southern Iraqi provinces, staged by frustrated Iraqis who enjoy political freedom but little economic success. A day earlier in the city of Kut, about 2,000 stone-throwing demonstrators attacked local government offices, setting fire to some buildings, including the governor's house. Kut is 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. Witnesses said Iraqi police and soldiers shot at demonstrators who pelted the offices with stones and commandeered military vehicles. The spokeswoman for Wasit province, Sondos al-Dahabi, said Thursday that three demonstrators were shot and killed. Al-Dahabi put the number of the wounded at 30, including 15 police officers. The top health official for the province, Diaa al-Aboudi, said he was only aware of one fatality, an Iraqi soldier. Fifty-five people were injured, he said. Some were shot while others were hit by stones thrown by demonstrators or burned in the melee. Conflicting casualty tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of violent events in Iraq. Provincial authorities held an emergency meeting to discuss protesters' demands, al-Dahabi said. The authorities also lifted a curfew imposed Wednesday. Iraq is one of the few countries with a democratically elected government in the Middle East but leaders here have not been immune from the anger engulfing the region. Iraqis have a long list of grievances against their leaders, including electricity that sometimes works only a few hours a day, unemployment that runs as high as 30 percent and rampant corruption. As security has improved, attention has turned to quality of life and economic issues instead. Meanwhile, gunmen in a speeding car shot and killed a spokesman for the provincial government in the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, police said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

Hello from the great Island of Galveston! Home of the.......... uh......uh...........uh.... Ok we got nothin but dirty sand and green water But hey the suns out! Semper Fi

Ok no more Fox News for me! Oh wait, it's a University study? Yeah think i'll stick with Fair and Balanced Semper Fi

If you saw my scores over the weekend, it would totally debunk this article! But it was a nice walk and the beer was cold Thanks for the post Semper Fi

Fred and Betty down the street did I did You did Alot of people on here did Other than that, who cares Semper Fi p.s This has been going on for months if not years about Trump. Either way, i don't lose any sleep over it

If you've done your research and feel comfortable with your investment, why are people going to "local branches" of a bank and asking about an RV? Not all branches of a bank will exchange foreign currency. Those that don't , know NOTHING about it. When i 1st got into this, i found a few banks/credit unions in my area that exchange foreign currency and let it rest. No one in any bank can/will tell you when the IQD will RV! Most of these bank rumors/inquiries are embarassing to the people that have done their homework and are comfortable in this investment. Nothing will happen until the IQD becomes a tradeable/recognized currency. Have a plan and......... Let it go! Semper Fi

I remember that day My ex filed a complaint! Thanks for the laugh Semper Fi

Now thats funny!

– 54 mins ago BAGHDAD – The political party led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is calling on Egyptians to secure a peaceful transition of power for their country. The Islamic Dawa party stopped short of urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down. But in a statement Saturday, it affirmed its solidarity with the Egyptian people and praised them as courageous for demanding their right to choose their leadership. The statement also calls on Egyptians to reject violence or chaos and says the Egyptian army has done a good job balancing security with respecting protesters' rights. Iraqi clerics and protesters have warned leaders in Baghdad to heed unrest in Egypt and Tunisia or risk facing it at home. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110205/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_egypt_protests

Great info! And also thanks for following up on some of the questions/comments posted here Some just post and run. Hate that! Great post. Great comments! Have a fun weekend Semper Fi

Big mistake! He better do something with a little more substance before it's too late IMO this pisses the people off more and gives them a media related forum to state as such Hopefully he does ALOT more real soon before all hell breaks loose Thanks for the post Semper Fi

Name one person on a dinar site who sems to have more insight into the GOI than MED........ No one I find his chats more than interesting Thanks for the post Semper Fi

LOL Your a funny little man Don't get frustrated, it'll be over soon Semper Fi

Well now you can make it 21 times Semper Fi

If you can say that after reading that chat, you need to find a new investment I thought it was VERY interesting! Thanks to all who participated Semper Fi

"Retreat hell, we just got here" Classic! Semper Fi