Bush May Be Pulling Troops

Massage...Bored · Post by **Massage...Bored** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:10 am

He's in Iraq.

The Iraqi gov. says they feel safe enough to run the country on their own.

Speculation is high.

Thoughts?

I am glad that these folks won't have to be away from their friends and families any longer and can come home without threat of being shipped back within a couple of months.

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:14 am

I'm against the war but now that we are there we need to provide security until the nation is stable enough to run itself.

My thoughts are to let them and keep our troops as a 'reserve' force. I'm guessing on the whole the Iraqis are ready but history has shown that sometimes help is needed.

Put or GIs in their bases and camps and begin a withdraw; while keeping some form of security there.

Kinda like how we are in South Korea I guess, until we can observe security.

Did any of that make sence?

Massage...Bored · Post by **Massage...Bored** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:19 am

sharkmansix wrote:I'm against the war but now that we are there we need to provide security until the nation is stable enough to run itself.

My thoughts are to let them and keep our troops as a 'reserve' force. I'm guessing on the whole the Iraqis are ready but history has shown that sometimes help is needed.

Put or GIs in their bases and camps and begin a withdraw; while keeping some form of security there.

Kinda like how we are in South Korea I guess, until we can observe security.

Did any of that make sence?

Yep.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:56 am

...and Germany...

Mama Dragon · Post by **Mama Dragon** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:06 pm

Be nice to see more of our folks coming back on their feet and not on their backs.

WBOB · Post by **WBOB** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:23 pm

I also welcome the return of troops from Iraq,
when their own forces are properly established.
This would be a morale booster for the whole
country.

Found this interesting, and this is still a partial
list of U.S. troops deployed currently around
the world. Not counting Afghanistan.

Wouldn't mind a scale back on a lot of these
also.

South Korea – 40,258 soldiers;
Japan – 40,045 soldiers;
Diego Garcia - 491
Singapore – 196
Thailand – 113
Afloat – 16,601
Germany –75,603
Italy – 13,354
United Kingdom – 11,801
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 2,931
Spain – 1,968
Turkey – 1,863 –
Iceland – 1,754
Serbia (include. Kosovo) – 1,733
Belgium – 1,534
Portugal – 1,016
Netherlands – 722
Greece – 562
Greenland - 122
Kyrgyzstan – About 1,000
Georgia – 38 Marines
Not counting Iraq and Afghanistan,
there are about 6,000 US military personnel in the Mid-East

Qatar – 3,432
Bahrain – 1,496
United Arab Emirates - 1,117
Saudi Arabia – 291

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba – 700
Honduras – 413
Canada – 147

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:31 pm

the largest - Germany - nearly 70 years after the end of WW2... why no exit plan???

sharkmansix · Post by **sharkmansix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:33 pm

I would wager now it's one of our most strategic points in dealing with the Middle East.

Hell every seriously injured GI gets shipped back to Germany; I can only imagine it's a stop on the way for everything else...men, equipment, etc.

Same thing with Japan, IMHO.

Mama Dragon · Post by **Mama Dragon** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:59 pm

Does the list include those assigned to regular overseas base duty and American Embassies?

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:04 pm

DELETED

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:36 am

Interesting story on PBS tonight on the Iraqi rebuilding efforts and battling the insurgency. Did anybody else watch it? I caught part of it, but was watching the NBA finals game - hey, I'm not that dedicated

WBOB · Post by **WBOB** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:41 am

sharkmansix wrote:

I would wager now it's one of our most strategic points in dealing with the Middle East.

Hell every seriously injured GI gets shipped back to Germany; I can only imagine it's a stop on the way for everything else...men, equipment, etc.

I believe your right on that. But the
amount still seems high if that's all they're there for.

bassjones wrote:

Interesting story on PBS tonight on the Iraqi rebuilding efforts and battling the insurgency. Did anybody else watch it?

Caught that by accident! Yeah interesting perspective
from the other side of the coin...
Wasn't switching to the NBA though,(Pacers done = I'm done)
... was backing and forthing between PBS and
some old "Whose Line Is It", shows.