he'll surrender as soon as he can. iraq is doomed On Nov 5, 5:36 am, "mike [move on] 532" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Troops hope Obama brings them home > responsiblyhttp://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4A441P20081105?feedType... > BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Watching election results that showed Barack > Obama > would be their new commander-in-chief, U.S. soldiers in Iraq said > they > hoped he would fulfill his promise to bring them home quickly and > responsibly. > > Breakfast was already being served in Baghdad on Wednesday morning > when Tuesday's polls closed back home, and at Forward Operating Base > Prosperity all eyes in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st > Airborne were on the dining hall's giant TVs. > > Someone whooped when NBC called the election, but mostly the troops > sat in rapt silence, eyeing their new president while eating their > eggs. > > "What soldier's going to say they don't want to go home? I have a > wife > and four kids. I want to go home. But one thing we all want is to > make > sure the friends we lost over here weren't for nothing," said Captain > Ryan Morrison, from Colorado Springs. > > "We have to pull out responsibly. I have the feeling he wants to do > it > responsibly," he said. > > Obama has pledged to pull U.S. combat troops out of Iraq within 16 > months of taking office, a promise that seemed bold when he first > made > it last year but now coincides roughly with the timetable favored by > Iraq's government. > > "I'm excited. He's going to be president and he's going to pull us > from over here," said Sergeant First Class Norman Brown. > > "If McCain had won we'd be over here for years, and I mean years and > years. I reckon even people here don't want us here." > > With levels of violence falling -- last month saw the fewest violent > deaths among both Iraqi civilians and U.S. troops since the war began > -- Iraqis increasingly express their hope that the force of more than > 150,000 U.S. troops can leave soon. > > "I as an Iraqi am asking Obama to keep his promises about the > withdrawal of the U.S. security forces from our land," said Baqi > Naqid, a Baghdad journalist. "We don't need an occupation." > > IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATES WITHDRAWAL > > The Iraqi government is negotiating a security pact with the outgoing > administration of President George W. Bush that would require U.S. > troops to exit by the end of 2011. But some Iraqis still fear > violence > may return if U.S. troops leave too rapidly. > > "They came on a mission. They should complete it. There should be 100 > percent security before they leave," said Baghdad housewife Um Saba, > 58. She said she preferred the Republicans for supporting an increase > of troops last year that she credited with helping to curb violence. > > Among U.S. troops, political loyalties were divided and debate > spirited during the long campaign. African American soldiers > described > Obama's victory as inspirational. > > "It gives me hope that anybody can accomplish anything no matter what > your race, color or creed," said Los Angeles native Staff Sergeant > Andre Frazier, adding he hoped it would improve the U.S. image > abroad. Continued... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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