Obama doesn't want to be responsible for the "loss" of Iraq.

Too bad. He doesn't have much choice. His only real choice is whether to get out early, save lives, and let it collapse early, or get out later, cost more lives, and wacth it collapse later. Iraq was on the verge of boiling over for decades. Saddam kept the lid on with brutal force, and kept the country from breaking apart into its natural constituents. Bush removed him and took over the lid-sitting job, with varying degrees of success, and at great cost in lives. Now Obama has inherited lid-tending duties. He can either keep the war going or say "Screw it" and get out, leaving it to boil over and exposing himself to excoriation by the Republicans and Liebermanites for having "lost the war." Whatever he does, it will boil over, either now or later.

Are the oil companies threatening him that they want their piece of the Iraq pie?

Lets hope he doesn't cave to their threats like he did the republicans.

troops died in vain, yadda yadda. You can bet that the fascists are drooling to attack Obama for "losing Iraq."

And yes. It's all about oil.

the oil barons prior to attacking Iraq?

I agree. I just don't want Obama to get suckered into thinking that he has to leave some sort of "viable" government in place when we go. There ain't no such thing. Not for Iraq.

with Afghanistan and caving into Repugs. The Repug formula for "stimulus" is bogus and only hurts any chance that we have for recovery.

it will be on his shoulders. Obama will be known as the one who ended the folly and brought America to its senses.

"This war is an illegal preemptive strike that was made on a nation , and those who started it should be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law", he can tell the truth and cover his ass.
as long as he acts like its a legitimate war, and doesnt speak out against the idiots who started it, he is just pussyfooting around and will give the damned thing legitimacy, thereby hoisting himself by his own petard.

You are exactly on the money. And I'm afraid that first alternative is not what he's gonna do. Dragging it out is already giving it legitimacy. He has to be decisive, he can't vacillate.

What the fuck is everyone in this thread smoking? People act like Obama just declared we're in Iraq for good. One news report, citing no sources, claims that MAYBE someone's talking about 23 months instead of 16, and everybody just buys it unquestioned.

Certainly not to doing anything that would "change" the way America deals with the world.

:hi: