No more troops in Iraq

[speculatorsRIDE]

Early Sunday morning the last 480 American troops crossed the Kuwaiti border on the same road that was used when we invaded. The troop withdrawal from Iraq is finally complete.

Additional article on troop withdrawal provided.

Sunday ~ Last U.S. troops leave Iraq, ending war

December 18, 2011

Last U.S. troops leave Iraq, ending war

Baghdad, The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives and left a country still grappling with political uncertainty.

The war launched in March 2003 with missiles striking Baghdad to oust dictator Saddam Hussein closes with a fragile democracy still facing insurgents, sectarian tensions and the challenge of defining its place in the Arab region.

The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armored vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert through the night along an empty highway and across the Kuwaiti border.

Honking their horns, the last batch of around 25 American military trucks and tractor trailers carrying Bradley fighting vehicles crossed the border early on Sunday, their crews waving at fellow troops along the route.

"I just can't wait to call my wife and kids and let them know I am safe," Rodolfo Ruiz said as the border came into sight. Soon afterwards, he told his men the mission was over, "Hey guys, you made it."

For President Barack Obama, the military pullout is the fulfillment of an election promise to bring troops home from a conflict inherited from his predecessor, the most unpopular war since Vietnam and one that tainted America's standing worldwide.

Continues ...read more ..

For Iraqis, the U.S. departure brings a sense of sovereignty but feeds nagging fears their country may slide once again into the kind of sectarian violence that killed thousands of people at its peak in 2006-2007.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government still struggles with a delicate power-sharing arrangement between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni parties, leaving Iraq vulnerable to meddling by Sunni Arab nations and Shi'ite Iran.

The intensity of violence and suicide bombings has subsided. But a stubborn Sunni Islamist insurgency and rival Shi'ite militias remain a threat, carrying out almost daily attacks, often on Iraqi government and security officials.

Iraq says its forces can contain the violence but they lack capabilities in areas such as air defense and intelligence gathering. A deal for several thousand U.S. troops to stay on as trainers fell apart over the sensitive issue of legal immunity.

For many Iraqis security remains a worry - but no more than jobs and getting access to power in a country whose national grid provides only a few hours of electricity a day despite massive oil potential in the OPEC country.

"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

After Obama announced in October that troops would come home by the end of the year as scheduled, the number of U.S. military bases was whittled down quickly as hundreds of troops and trucks carrying equipment headed south to the Kuwaiti border.

U.S. forces, which had ended combat missions in 2010, paid $100,000 a month to tribal sheikhs to secure stretches of the highways leading south to reduce the risk of roadside bombings and attacks on the last convoys.

At the height of the war, more than 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq at more than 500 bases. By Saturday, there were fewer than 3,000 troops, and one base.

At COB Adder, as dusk fell before the departure of the last convoy, one group of soldiers slapped barbecue sauce on slabs of ribs brought in from Kuwait and laid them on grills alongside hotdogs and sausages.

The last troops flicked on the lights studding their MRAP vehicles and stacked flak jackets and helmets in neat piles, ready for the final departure for Kuwait and then home.

"A good chunk of me is happy to leave. I spent 31 months in this country," said Sgt. Steven Schirmer, 25, after three tours of Iraq since 2007. "It almost seems I can have a life now, though I know I am probably going to Afghanistan in 2013. Once these wars end I wonder what I will end up doing."

U.S. and foreign companies are already helping Iraq develop the vast potential of the world's fourth-largest oil reserves, but its economy needs investment in all sectors, from hospitals to infrastructure.

Iran and Turkey, major investors in Iraq, will be watching with Gulf nations to see how it handles its sectarian and ethnic tensions, as the crisis in neighboring Syria threatens to spill over its borders.

The fall of Saddam allowed the long-suppressed Shi'ite majority to rise to power. The Shi'ite-led government has drawn the country closer to neighboring Iran and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who is struggling to put down a nine-month uprising.

Iraq's Sunni minority are chafing under what they see as the

increasingly authoritarian control of Maliki's Shi'ite coalition. Some local leaders are already pushing mainly Sunni provinces to demand more autonomy from Baghdad.

The main Sunni political bloc Iraqiya said on Saturday that it was temporarily suspending its participation in the parliament to protest against what it said was Maliki's unwillingness to deliver on power-sharing.

A dispute between the semi-autonomous Kurdish region and Maliki's central government over oil and territory is also brewing, and is a potential flashpoint after the buffer of the American military presence is gone.

"There is little to suggest that Iraq's government will manage -- or be willing to -- get itself out of the current stalemate," said Gala Riani, an analyst at IHS Global Insight.

"The perennial divisive issues that have become part of the fabric of Iraqi politics, such as divisions with Kurdistan and Sunni suspicions of the government, are also likely to persist."

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=124165756&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281

Edited December 18, 2011 by speculatorsRIDE

[Roadrunner]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

[Flash101]

Hmmmm

[speculatorsRIDE]

Sunday ~ Last U.S. troops leave Iraq, ending war

December 18, 2011

Last U.S. troops leave Iraq, ending war

Baghdad, The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives and left a country still grappling with political uncertainty.

The war launched in March 2003 with missiles striking Baghdad to oust dictator Saddam Hussein closes with a fragile democracy still facing insurgents, sectarian tensions and the challenge of defining its place in the Arab region.

The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armored vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert through the night along an empty highway and across the Kuwaiti border.

Honking their horns, the last batch of around 25 American military trucks and tractor trailers carrying Bradley fighting vehicles crossed the border early on Sunday, their crews waving at fellow troops along the route.

"I just can't wait to call my wife and kids and let them know I am safe," Rodolfo Ruiz said as the border came into sight. Soon afterwards, he told his men the mission was over, "Hey guys, you made it."

For President Barack Obama, the military pullout is the fulfillment of an election promise to bring troops home from a conflict inherited from his predecessor, the most unpopular war since Vietnam and one that tainted America's standing worldwide.

For Iraqis, the U.S. departure brings a sense of sovereignty but feeds nagging fears their country may slide once again into the kind of sectarian violence that killed thousands of people at its peak in 2006-2007.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government still struggles with a delicate power-sharing arrangement between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni parties, leaving Iraq vulnerable to meddling by Sunni Arab nations and Shi'ite Iran.

The intensity of violence and suicide bombings has subsided. But a stubborn Sunni Islamist insurgency and rival Shi'ite militias remain a threat, carrying out almost daily attacks, often on Iraqi government and security officials.

Iraq says its forces can contain the violence but they lack capabilities in areas such as air defense and intelligence gathering. A deal for several thousand U.S. troops to stay on as trainers fell apart over the sensitive issue of legal immunity.

For many Iraqis security remains a worry - but no more than jobs and getting access to power in a country whose national grid provides only a few hours of electricity a day despite massive oil potential in the OPEC country.

"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

After Obama announced in October that troops would come home by the end of the year as scheduled, the number of U.S. military bases was whittled down quickly as hundreds of troops and trucks carrying equipment headed south to the Kuwaiti border.

U.S. forces, which had ended combat missions in 2010, paid $100,000 a month to tribal sheikhs to secure stretches of the highways leading south to reduce the risk of roadside bombings and attacks on the last convoys.

At the height of the war, more than 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq at more than 500 bases. By Saturday, there were fewer than 3,000 troops, and one base.

At COB Adder, as dusk fell before the departure of the last convoy, one group of soldiers slapped barbecue sauce on slabs of ribs brought in from Kuwait and laid them on grills alongside hotdogs and sausages.

The last troops flicked on the lights studding their MRAP vehicles and stacked flak jackets and helmets in neat piles, ready for the final departure for Kuwait and then home.

"A good chunk of me is happy to leave. I spent 31 months in this country," said Sgt. Steven Schirmer, 25, after three tours of Iraq since 2007. "It almost seems I can have a life now, though I know I am probably going to Afghanistan in 2013. Once these wars end I wonder what I will end up doing."

U.S. and foreign companies are already helping Iraq develop the vast potential of the world's fourth-largest oil reserves, but its economy needs investment in all sectors, from hospitals to infrastructure.

Iran and Turkey, major investors in Iraq, will be watching with Gulf nations to see how it handles its sectarian and ethnic tensions, as the crisis in neighboring Syria threatens to spill over its borders.

The fall of Saddam allowed the long-suppressed Shi'ite majority to rise to power. The Shi'ite-led government has drawn the country closer to neighboring Iran and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who is struggling to put down a nine-month uprising.

Iraq's Sunni minority are chafing under what they see as the

increasingly authoritarian control of Maliki's Shi'ite coalition. Some local leaders are already pushing mainly Sunni provinces to demand more autonomy from Baghdad.

The main Sunni political bloc Iraqiya said on Saturday that it was temporarily suspending its participation in the parliament to protest against what it said was Maliki's unwillingness to deliver on power-sharing.

A dispute between the semi-autonomous Kurdish region and Maliki's central government over oil and territory is also brewing, and is a potential flashpoint after the buffer of the American military presence is gone.

"There is little to suggest that Iraq's government will manage -- or be willing to -- get itself out of the current stalemate," said Gala Riani, an analyst at IHS Global Insight.

"The perennial divisive issues that have become part of the fabric of Iraqi politics, such as divisions with Kurdistan and Sunni suspicions of the government, are also likely to persist."

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=124165756&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281

Patrick Markey and Joseph Logan

Reuters US Online Report World News

Dec 18, 2011 01:02 EST

[captl1]

This was shown on cnn this morning.....They did a short special on it.

[Alex38]

Awesome news! Ummmmm.... Can they RV now???????

[k98nights]

URGENT / Last US Army convoy crosses Iraq's borders into Kuwait

12/18/2011 12:17 PM

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The last US Army convoy has crossed Iraq's borders into Kuwait on Sunday at dawn, officially ending the withdrawal of the American Forces from Iraq.

The final withdrawal comes after 9 years of war and military interference, resulting in the deaths of 4,500 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis, Reuters News Agency reported.

"The last US convoy, including 100 American armored vehicles, carrying 500 soldiers, have crossed Iraq's southern desert during Saturday night, on the main highway leading to the Kuwaiti borders," Reuters added.

US Staff Sergeant Christian Schutlz said, prior to leaving Contingency Operating Base Adder, 300 km to the south of Baghdad, and heading for border, “It’s good to see this thing coming to a close.

I was here when it started."

"I saw a lot of good changes, a lot of progress, and a lot of bad things too," he added.

SKH (TP)/SR

http://en.aswataliraq.info/(S(v2n05z55kifs5n455hcegrro))/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=146064&l=1

[Ms.Bean]

I know this was an important even towards the RV that most of us were looking forward to, but given the latest head lines I am not so sure this is a good thing anymore as far as the RV goes.

That being said I am happy for our troops and their families. It will be a Merry Christmas for them indeed

[captl1]

I think this is just what the RV needed as per the CBI...IMO

[Carrello]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

Roadrunner, I would like to know the answer to your question too.

There is one quote in this article, and it is something that we hear over and over, and it has to do with leaving Iraq in "chaos."

"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

I can read the news, I can read opinions, but as someone who is there, what is the truth?

Thank you.

[Butifldrm]

Information in the press may not be what it seems.

State Department Press Briefing December 15th 2011

QUESTION: The day that the Iraq war ends and the State Department takes over everything in Iraq, and you don’t have anything to say?

MS. NULAND: Well, Secretary Panetta said a lot, the President said a lot, and you know where we are. We are ready for our responsibilities.

QUESTION: Yes, ma’am. Could you tell us operationally how the end – the declaration – the official declaration of the end of the war will impact U.S. operations? You have a very large embassy, but you also have consulate, one of them in Basra very near in kilometers away from the Iranian border and so on. So what kind of logistics are implemented in place, first, to conduct activities with the public in Basra, and second, to protect it from a possible Iranian targeting?

MS. NULAND: Well, thanks for that, Said. As the President and Secretary and Secretary Panetta have made clear, as our troops withdraw, nonetheless, our intensive engagement with Iraq continues. It continues in the full range of political programs, economic, security support, et cetera. We are going to have a very large embassy there on the scale of some of our largest embassies around the world in places like Egypt, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and we will have security as well for our 2,000-ish diplomatic personnel provided by contract security, both at our Embassy in Baghdad, at our (inaudible) in Kirkuk – sorry, in Erbil and in Basra and our mission in Kirkuk. So we are – we've been working on this for some time. We are ready, and we are eager to take our relationship with Iraq to that next sovereign stage of partnership.

QUESTION: Okay. Just to follow up, the United Nations and other organizations have depended, by and large, on U.S. support on military assets – let's say helicopters and other assets to move about and so on. So how will – and it was all done through the Embassy. Will there be also some sort of – will you facilitate their movement as you have done in the past, perhaps, by whatever means available?

MS. NULAND: Well, I think you're referring to an earlier time in our Iraq engagement. Increasingly, the international organizations have --

QUESTION: Well, until recently. I mean, until very recently.

MS. NULAND: Increasingly, the international organizations have also been moving to contract security. They've been moving to contract transportation support, and we have encouraged that, and we work with them on appropriate ways to do that and ensure safety and security.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: You mentioned several other embassies that you said were on the scale of this. Is that actually correct? I mean, I don’t think --

MS. NULAND: In terms of those personnel who are under ambassadorial chief of mission authority, separate and apart from the security personnel, obviously --

QUESTION: Yeah. Well, exactly.

MS. NULAND: Yes.

QUESTION: I mean, so – I mean, isn’t the vast majority of the people who are there security people?

MS. NULAND: Right. When I spoke of this Embassy staff being comparable to some of these missions – very large missions we have in other places, I'm talking about the diplomats, the security trainers, the AID workers, the folks who support business exchange from the Commerce Department, et cetera, who are under chief of mission authority.

QUESTION: The –

MS. NULAND: That's about 2,000. That’s about the size that we have in other places. On top of that, obviously, in Iraq, because of the security situation, we’re going to have this contract security presence.

QUESTION: But don’t those contract security people come under chief of mission?

MS. NULAND: They do not. They do not.

QUESTION: So --

QUESTION: Victoria, just a quick --

QUESTION: I had a question about -- from the podium a couple of times the total number has been mentioned as 16,000. So you’re now talking about 2,000 U.S. Government employees there. Are we to presume that the remaining 14,000 are all security?

MS. NULAND: I think your number is a little high, Andy. And the numbers are moving around as we continue to evaluate what we need. But it’ll be quite large on the security side, and it’s around what we’re talking about.

QUESTION: So if these security contractors don’t come under chief of mission authority, who do they report to?

MS. NULAND: Well, they report – they are on contract to the Embassy.

QUESTION: But doesn’t that --

MS. NULAND: But they don’t have the diplomatic protections that are – that those staff who are direct employees of the U.S. Government have.

QUESTION: Well, why – okay. On the immunity I understand that, but I mean, if the ambassador or the – I don't know – number two, says, “Hey, I want you to go over there,” can the guy say, “No, I’m not going to do that because you’re not my boss?”

MS. NULAND: They are providing a contracted service --

QUESTION: Yeah. But, I mean, they --

MS. NULAND: -- to the Embassy.

QUESTION: But they have to do what the Embassy people tell them to do, right?

MS. NULAND: They have to fulfill the contract that they’ve signed up for, but they are not direct employees of the Embassy.

QUESTION: All right.

QUESTION: Victoria, just – sorry – one last one on this one. On the visa status of those security contract – or the contractor, has that all – are all those visas been issued? Is this all set that they’re ready to go?

MS. NULAND: We talked about this. I think it was Monday or Tuesday. As you know, the Iraqis have now said that all these people need to have visas. That’s appropriate for a sovereign country. We are moving apace to make sure that those visas can be issued on time, and we’re quite confident that it’ll be smooth.

QUESTION: Can I just go through the numbers real quick? Because I think in October you guys put out a whole fact sheet with some of – or I think it was a TQ you guys put out on some of the numbers that you were going to have.

MS. NULAND: Why don’t we – if we want to get into numbers, let’s do some of that offline.

QUESTION: Well, can I just ask you real quick, at the time you guys said that by the end of the year you would have 5,000 security contractors and 4,500 general life contractors. Are those numbers, more or less, what you’re still looking at, or have those gone up since then?

MS. NULAND: With regard to the end of the year numbers, I’ll have to take it and get back to you.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2011/12/178905.htm#IRAQ

[vietnam1969]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

Probably soon to be part of the "contractors" who will be left there

[RodandStaff]

Awesome news! Ummmmm.... Can they RV now???????

I sure the heck hope so..... the sooner the better imo!

I just can't imagine them dragging this out! How would it help them if they prolonged revaluing their currency? Now they have what they want... the country to themselves! I would think they would want to get things rolling right away... like as in yesterday! Come on boyz... gitter dun!

GO RV Already Baby!!!

[Canuklady]

Thanks for the post Speculators. As usual RodandStaff you have such a positive outlook! Give us a sip of your cup! Come on, you can do it! It's spilling over...

[Alex38]

I sure the heck hope so..... the sooner the better imo!

I just can't imagine them dragging this out! How would it help them if they prolonged revaluing their currency? Now they have what they want... the country to themselves! I would think they would want to get things rolling right away... like as in yesterday! Come on boyz... gitter dun!

GO RV Already Baby!!!

I am with you on that thought process! We have been waiting a long time for our troops to leave. Well, they have. So..... Get it done!!!!

[Danneedsrvnow]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

It has been said many times that combat troops were/are leaving & the military left behind are to be trainers.

[Roadrunner]

Roadrunner, I would like to know the answer to your question too.

There is one quote in this article, and it is something that we hear over and over, and it has to do with leaving Iraq in "chaos."

"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

I can read the news, I can read opinions, but as someone who is there, what is the truth?

Thank you.

Carrello,

First, let me say that my post was an off handed remark that I never should have made in the first place. I was upset with the wording of the article; particularly the word “ALL”. I get that way sometimes when I read something that is written for the sole purpose of deceiving people, especially if that deception is to promote a political agenda or to line someone’s pockets. In this case it may be a little of both. That’s only my opinion, for what it is worth, so I will not elaborate on it too much. At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, let me say there has never before been a Department of State operation of this magnitude. Most members of this site are intelligent enough to venture their own opinions as to why they are here, but I don’t think we will hear much about it on CNN. The military that are still here (and there are quite a few) are supposedly advisors for the DOS and trainers for the Iraqi forces. We are told that there are no more combat forces here. When I hear that I am reminded of something Walter Oleszek said “Openness is fundamental to representative government; yet the congressional process is replete with activities and actions that are private and not observable by the public”. I contend that this statement could be equally applied to most any area of the government, especially where the military is concerned. Believe me when I say that we are not here to be the “good neighbor” or just to lend a helping hand. We are here because our government feels it is in their best interest to be here. First and foremost is our reluctance to lose our foothold in a very volatile area. Three years ago we signed an agreement to remove our troops by the end of this year. I won’t debate whether it was the right decision or not. However; once we signed such an agreement we committed ourselves to a course of action. Now comes the problem. How do you pull troops out without losing your foothold? You send in thousands of DOS officials to occupy the same sites. Then you place “non-combat” troops and private security forces there to support them. Secondly, we are still here for financial reasons. I believe there are players in this game that are quite often overlooked. The real money is not in the RV. It is afterwards; in oil, manufacturing, banking, marketing, etc. This country is going to experience a growth spurt that is beyond anything we have ever seen, and everybody (including our elected officials) wants their slice of the pie. As I said, this is only my opinion, and I have been wrong before. Either way, time will tell.

Roadrunner

[zigmeister]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

So Roadrunner is Iraq in chaos right now? All of these articles it seems its coming lose at the seams?

[Abarvets]

Thank you Roadrunner. Your insight is greatly appreciated!

[Roadrunner]

So Roadrunner is Iraq in chaos right now? All of these articles it seems its coming lose at the seams?

They are in a transition time right now. Is it chaos? Yes, to an extent; but no more so than any other country has been after having a war fought on their home soil. You can look at our own history after the civil war or the revolution. You can look at most of Europe after WWII. Look at Vietnam or Korea. They all went through a hard transitionary period after the war was over. Why would it be any different here? Iraq like anywhere else has optimists and pessimists. You can talk to one person that will just dwell on what things were like before the war and how it will never be the same. Then, you can talk to others that are more concerned with what it will be like in a few years. The later of the two is the one that will make a difference in this country. Many of them are doing without what we would consider the basics; electricity, indoor plumbing, etc. But the fact is that many of them have never had these things. The real chaos over here is in the government (or lack of). The problem that has always plagued them and always will is their tribal mentality. Very few people here are really concerned about what is good for the country. They are concerned with what is good for them and their group. There are some that have high hopes for the country. I have heard more than on say that in 10 years Baghdad will be the new Dubai. I think they are right.

Roadrunner

[yota691]

They speak of the Troops gone but in Truth they still there, most of them are on the sidelines in Kuwait, an what at the US Embassy in Iraq, I believe 15,000

[DinarCowboy12]

Richard Engel did a Q&A in regards to what he feels Iraq's current state is.

[Luigi1]

About 15,000 US forces will remain in Iraq in non combat roles as advisors, trainers & diplomatic & other support duties. This was agreed on by Iraqi & US officials. The other 15,000 are in Kuwait & will stay then be rotated out & remain on stand-by if needed in the event of a crisis in Iraq.

[zigmeister]

They are in a transition time right now. Is it chaos? Yes, to an extent; but no more so than any other country has been after having a war fought on their home soil. You can look at our own history after the civil war or the revolution. You can look at most of Europe after WWII. Look at Vietnam or Korea. They all went through a hard transitionary period after the war was over. Why would it be any different here? Iraq like anywhere else has optimists and pessimists. You can talk to one person that will just dwell on what things were like before the war and how it will never be the same. Then, you can talk to others that are more concerned with what it will be like in a few years. The later of the two is the one that will make a difference in this country. Many of them are doing without what we would consider the basics; electricity, indoor plumbing, etc. But the fact is that many of them have never had these things. The real chaos over here is in the government (or lack of). The problem that has always plagued them and always will is their tribal mentality. Very few people here are really concerned about what is good for the country. They are concerned with what is good for them and their group. There are some that have high hopes for the country. I have heard more than on say that in 10 years Baghdad will be the new Dubai. I think they are right.

Roadrunner

Thanks Roadrunner your response is very insightful.I have a question for you. What is the situation with the dollar vs the dinar.

Are the people there mostly in dollars? We have heard many stories as you well know, but honestly none of really know what the people are actually doing via financial transactions. Are the people as confused as we are with these on again off again articles?

[skitealwedrop]

So the last of the troops have left. I wonder who all these guys in uniform are, that I deal with everyday.

Roadrunner

My heart just sank after reading your post. There is no telling who the guys in uniform truly are. Thanks for posting.

Roadrunner, I would like to know the answer to your question too.

There is one quote in this article, and it is something that we hear over and over, and it has to do with leaving Iraq in "chaos."

"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

I can read the news, I can read opinions, but as someone who is there, what is the truth?

Thank you.

Good question Carrello. I do hope that we get Roadrunner's perspective. Thanks.

They are in a transition time right now. Is it chaos? Yes, to an extent; but no more so than any other country has been after having a war fought on their home soil. You can look at our own history after the civil war or the revolution. You can look at most of Europe after WWII. Look at Vietnam or Korea. They all went through a hard transitionary period after the war was over. Why would it be any different here? Iraq like anywhere else has optimists and pessimists. You can talk to one person that will just dwell on what things were like before the war and how it will never be the same. Then, you can talk to others that are more concerned with what it will be like in a few years. The later of the two is the one that will make a difference in this country. Many of them are doing without what we would consider the basics; electricity, indoor plumbing, etc. But the fact is that many of them have never had these things. The real chaos over here is in the government (or lack of). The problem that has always plagued them and always will is their tribal mentality. Very few people here are really concerned about what is good for the country. They are concerned with what is good for them and their group. There are some that have high hopes for the country. I have heard more than on say that in 10 years Baghdad will be the new Dubai. I think they are right.

Roadrunner

Fabulous post. Thank you.