U.S. Officially Ends Its Mission in Iraq

[dilettante]

A rather muted ceremony, by the sound of it (note the absence of banners).

The US is now at 2 bases and ~4000 troops in Iraq, down from more than 500 bases and nearly 200,000 troops. By the end of the year those last two bases are due to close, leaving the US with an embassy (albeit an extremely large one) and a few hundred military personal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/world/middleeast/panetta-in-baghdad-for-iraq-military-handover-ceremony.html

I'll be curious to see how this plays out next year, both with regard to Iraqi security and as an election issue.

[Donkey]

What about private security contractors on the government payroll? I'll believe it when I know they're gone too.

[dilettante]

I don't know any numbers on that which aren't years old, but I'd be curious to seem them if you run across any.

[Americano]

I don't know any numbers on that which aren't years old, but I'd be curious to seem them if you run across any.

Private security contractors (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576369801913947130.html) will be used to guard the US Embassy in Iraq.

[Michael]

Mission finally accomplished? :ummm:

Hmmm... lets see....

1. Several million Iraqis either killed, displaced, refugees or homeless.
2. Iraq turned from being a longtime US ally into a source of implaccable hatred of the USA.
3. Iraq oil production almost wiped out.
4. US troops forced to leave Iraq according to Iraqi law forcing them to leave.

What was the mission again? :ummm:

[drgoodtrips]

Mission finally accomplished? :ummm:

Hmmm... lets see....

1. Several million Iraqis either killed, displaced, refugees or homeless.
2. Iraq turned from being a longtime US ally into a source of implaccable hatred of the USA.
3. Iraq oil production almost wiped out.
4. US troops forced to leave Iraq according to Iraqi law forcing them to leave.

What was the mission again? :ummm:

My first inclination was to post the laughing icon, but I'm holding out for a "gallows humor" smiley.

[Tom Palven]

Instead of the US military withdrawing from Iraq, the entire US government should withdraw from beautiful central North America and go to Iraq, where those people know how to treat US bureaucrats- keep them penned up in big concentration camps. Abu Ghraib should be reserved for real hard cases like congressmen and senators. :shrug:

[The_Dot]

Mission finally accomplished? :ummm:

Hmmm... lets see....

1. Several million Iraqis either killed, displaced, refugees or homeless.
2. Iraq turned from being a longtime US ally into a source of implaccable hatred of the USA.
3. Iraq oil production almost wiped out.
4. US troops forced to leave Iraq according to Iraqi law forcing them to leave.

What was the mission again? :ummm:

I have to admit to being puzzled by that one as well.

Some said this was a "war for oil", but it seems that Iraqi oil exports to the US are down.

Some said this was an "occupation" and we were building "permanent bases" there, but this also does not appear to be the case.

It certainly hasn't stabilized the Miserable East. Not that anything really has / can.

Not sure what the point of it all was, in the end.

[Michael]

Some said it was to rescue the Iraqi people from Saddam's despotism...

1. Several million Iraqis either killed, displaced, refugees or homeless.

Some said it was to bring democracy to the Iraqis...

2. Iraq turned from being a longtime US ally into a source of implaccable hatred of the USA.

Some said it was to get control of Iraqi oil...

3. Iraq oil production almost wiped out.

Some said it was meant establish permanent military bases in Iraq (to replace the permanent bases lost in Saudi Arabia)...

4. US troops forced to leave Iraq according to Iraqi law forcing them to leave.

Looks like 'epic fail' to me no matter how one tries to determine the 'objective'.

[Americano]

While there's no way to rationalize the absolute stupidity of the US Mission in Iraq, Iraqi oil is a an interesting story. In 2010 Iraq crude oil production exceeded 2001 levels (pre-invasion) and in 2011 was the fifth largest source of US imported crude oil.

There are no US companies involved in the modernization and expansion of Iraq's oil industry. Currently limited by infrastructure, water availability for pumping purposes and port facilities, Iraq has the world's third largest reserves with China expected to be the major beneficiary of Iraqi production expansion.

[Tom Palven]

I have to admit to being puzzled by that one as well.

Some said this was a "war for oil", but it seems that Iraqi oil exports to the US are down.

Some said this was an "occupation" and we were building "permanent bases" there, but this also does not appear to be the case.

It certainly hasn't stabilized the Miserable East. Not that anything really has / can.

Not sure what the point of it all was, in the end.

Ask yourself who benefited. US oil companies? No, they drill for and buy oil from "friends" and "enemies" alike, including Hugo Chavez' Venezuela. How about Dick Cheney, Northrop-Grumman, and General Atomics?

[Michael]

Ask yourself who benefited. US oil companies? No, they drill for and buy oil from "friends" and "enemies" alike, including Hugo Chavez' Venezuela. How about Dick Cheney, Northrop-Grumman, and General Atomics?

Yes, this is a good observation. As they say, follow the money and that's where most of that trillion dollar plus cost of the war ended up.

Btw, you forgot Haliburton and Blackwater/Xe. They got a really big piece of the pie too.

[Michael]

While there's no way to rationalize the absolute stupidity of the US Mission in Iraq, Iraqi oil is a an interesting story. In 2010 Iraq crude oil production exceeded 2001 levels (pre-invasion) and in 2011 was the fifth largest source of US imported crude oil.

There are no US companies involved in the modernization and expansion of Iraq's oil industry. Currently limited by infrastructure, water availability for pumping purposes and port facilities, Iraq has the world's third largest reserves with China expected to be the major beneficiary of Iraqi production expansion.

Yes, that's more of the 'epic fail' thing. US companies are most likely not going to be involved in any long-term rebuilding/development of Iraqi oil industry - China is.