"Teribus - Then you agree that Dickey is an idiot for assuming that surrender is even possible." - Dianavan

On the contrary dianavan, Dickey is one of the more rational contributers to these threads. He states his case supported by relevant fact and logic as opposed to emotional claptrap, myths and half truths.

Now let's take a look at the remainder of the twaddle

"Dickey needs to realize that withdrawl does not mean surrender"

Oh yes it does dianavan, the troops constituting the MNF are there at the request of the Iraqi Government and the UN. If the Dems instigate a premature withdrawal from Iraq, the consequences for the US armed forces would be nothing short of disasterous.

"al Qaeda has no reason to be in Iraq except to target the U.S."

They were already in Iraq dianavan, Saddam invited them and allowed them to set up bases to kill Shia Kurds. For Al-Qaeda, or any other terrorist organisation to be successful they have to dictate the ground they fight over, they have to dictate tactics and strategy, they have to pick their targets. In both Iraq and in Afghanistan they have been sucked into a fight that is not on their terms. In Afghanistan they are losing and losing badly. In Iraq those who up until recently supported them are now turning on them, in 2006 alone in Iraq they lost over 4,000 men.

"If the U.S. goes, al Qaeda will stop their attacks."

Now where on earth does this piece of inspired nonsense come from? Al-Qaeda was attacking the US long before Afghanistan or Iraq became a news item. What planet are you living on? What on earth induces you to make that statement? Al-Qaeda's track record flies in the face of it.

"If the U.S. goes, the Mahdi Army will also stop attacking the U.S."

I do not believe that the Mehdi Army is attacking the US. The US and Iraqi Security Forces are attacking militia groups in general, but Al-Sadr has obeyed the wishes of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani and kept his men off the streets.

The Iraqi government is sorting out their own problems. In Bosnia it took 15 years, in Iraq it might take a bit longer. I think if you look up some of my previous posts you will find that I predicted at least 15 to 20 years.