How to Get Out of Iraq

"Ultimately, getting out of Iraq requires airplanes and ships. Everything else is conjecture..."
From Joshua Holland over at Alternet:

Stumbling in is fine but when the discussion goes to getting out of Iraq, we're suddenly micro-managers worrying about the consequences of our actions.

Nobody can really say for sure what would happen if we left Iraq tomorrow, but if we can go in as part of a grand experiment in democratization -- or whatever -- with no clue how it would turn out, why can't we get out the same way? Let's turn it around and pull out -- for a change -- and see what happens.

So here's my two-step plan for getting out of Iraq. Step one: come up with a catchy name for pulling out, something like Operation Victorious Homecoming. Step two: tell the Pentagon you want Operation Victorious Homecoming executed with maximum military efficiency and the minimum loss of life. Simple.

Things have gone from bad to worse the longer the US is there (see this excellent Iraq War Timeline), so staying isn't likely to make anything better. But wait, silly, the US isn't staying there in order to bring stability to the people! It's staying so as to secure a permanent military presence in the region, the better to protect strategic economic interests (yes, including oil interests). Oh, and there's still LOTS of money to make off the "reconstruction".

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