OK Teribus--

Sorry I didn't address your question as to consequences of a US withdrawal from Iraq.

Tell you what, I'll answer your question, and you answer mine.

Mine is very specific:   Given that Iraqi Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds loathe and despise al-Qaeda, how is al-Qaeda going to take over Iraq?---though this is exactly what we've been threatened with by GWB and now McCain.




As to my thesis on the outcome if the US brings its troops home now:

1) I never said all troops should be brought home. I have always insisted that since US troops are actually wanted in "Kurdistan", we should maintain a large presence there--but only there.   Among other things this will dissuade any future Turkish government from drastic action in "Kurdistan" against the PKK--and thereby help stabilize the area.


2) We should however withdraw all combat troops from the rest of Iraq. GWB invaded Iraq after the spectacularly successful propaganda campaign discussed in this thread--and recognized by all literate beings---now including GWB's former press spokesman.

As I and many others have said for quite a while--and now Scott McClellan also admits--the Iraq war was unnecessary. There was no excuse for it--and there still is no excuse. And it was foisted on the US public by means of a despicable propaganda campaign.

The Iraqis can--and will--work out their own problems (aside from the Kurds in "Kurdistan", which I've spoken about above.)

3) Anybody who predicts dire consequences from a US withdrawal needs to be specific in exactly what those would be--with facts and evidence.

If that's what you predict, we need those facts and evidence.

The ball is in your court.