Iraq+Withdraw+Obama+Plan

3/4/09 Remove most of the 142,000 troops in Iraq by August 31, 2010 Leave a residual force of 50,000 troops until the end of 2011, the date the US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement stipulates the removal of all US troops. The transitional force would have three missions: training Iraqi security forces, carrying out anti-terrorism missions and protecting American civilian and military forces.    PLAN WILL WORK FACTS: US troop deaths have fallen. About 63 US troops died per months between 2004 and Obama’s Inauguration in 2009. Since then only about 16 troops have died per month. Al Qaeda has discredited itself in much of the Muslim world, and Sunnis in Iraq have turned against its senseless violence.   On March 4 he launched a crackdown on wasteful and fraudulent spending, declaring that "the days of giving defense contractors a blank check are over." This is a first step toward removing the 150,000 mercenaries and private contractors in Iraq, who now outnumber US military forces  PLAN WILL NOT WORK FACTS: ** Undermines Diplomacy ** Obama calls for increased diplomacy, but the presence of so many residual forces undercuts this message and undermines the main strategic reasons for an American withdrawal. The American troops--some stationed at the heavily militarized US Embassy, for example--will be a continual reminder of the occupation. ** Spark Radicalization and Draw US back into War ** Indeed, the presence of our forces beyond August 2010 makes a tempting target for groups in Iraq that would like nothing better than to rally an insurgency to challenge the dominant Shiite government. As we learned in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War, keeping US forces in a Muslim country can spark radicalization. A large US military presence would invite Al Qaeda back to attack and recruit. ** Expensive ** Maintaining 50,000 troops for nearly three more years will add to the $3 trillion price tag of the Iraq War when all our resources are needed to rebuild our tanking economy. No timeline removing the 150,000 mercenaries and private contractors in Iraq Obama has not ruled out permanent US military bases in Iraq; an announcement to that effect would bolster the chances for genuine Iraqi sovereignty.
 * Iraq Withdraw Obama Plan **
 * <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Plan Details: **
 * **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Date ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Total ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">In Combat ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Death Rate Per Month ||
 * **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">American Deaths ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">(between dates) ||
 * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since war began (3/19/03): || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">4257 ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3424 ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">102 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">4118 ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3316 ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">43 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3796 ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3118 ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">53 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since Handover (6/29/04): || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3399 ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">2801 ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">63 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">28 ** || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">19 ** || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">16 ||
 * __<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> [|Total US troops Wounded:] __ || **<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">31089 (official) ** || __<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> [|Over 100000 (estimated)]  __ || <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Violence declining: **
 * <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Ending Military Contractors: **
 * Lack of Details: **