Will US forces still be in Iraq 10 years from now? Is it ridiculous to look at getting out of Iraq?

For starters, it would be virtually impossible to give any kind of prediction as to weather of not our policy would in-tail our presence in any country 10 years from now due to our regular changes in political leadership with conflicting views.

However as we have a history of maintaining a presence in most countries (especially ones we have had a conflict in) for several decades at a time with only a few exceptions, it would be wrong of me to say we wouldn't be in Iraq 10 years from now though I am certain our numbers there will eventually be significantly less than the lowest numbers since this wars start.

As for our presence in Japan, it is for strategic positioning for a Korean mount out location. (Prep site for war)

In case you didn't pick up the hint from that last line, we are still on the brink of another Korean conflict as we have been since the late 90's. They have been repeatedly testing nuclear missiles and threatening to use them on Japan and are trying to make one that reaches the US. Therefore it is possible that we may reduce forces in that region but unlikely that we would eliminate our presence.

I am sorry if the information I have provided is not what you wanted to hear, but the truth is usually a tough pill to swallow and denial only makes it more ridged when it finally gets down.

The bases in Germany and Japan where not legacies of WW2 so much as they where legacies of the Cold war. And technicly the Korean War is not over. We have been in a shaky ceasefire with North Korea for more than 50 years but anyone who watches the news knows that Korea is still a hotspot. The bases in Europe and Japan have been downsized considerably over the last 20 years and will most likely eventually be scaled back to the point of non significance. Most of the operations in Germany and Japan are logistical anyway (communications, supply, medical)

I dont think anyone ever doubted that American troops would be present in Iraq for 20 years or so, I just dont think anyone expected them to still be fighting (at least our administration didnt). I think the only way you will not see a troop presence in ten years is if it continues to go so badly that we just abandon the situation....

We got blind-sided on 9/11 maybe because we had no intelligence in place in the middle-east. We need some kind of contact, but having troops occupy Iraq is not necessarily the answer since we seem to be getting daily casualities. Korea Germany and Japan are relatively stable countries and we don't get many war casualties there.

yes i belive we will be in iraq for a LONG time to come, you cant build a democracy over night, especially when the region has no history of a democracy. i belive it is ridiculous to look at getting out of Iraq, and i hope that the civilians in the US will for once not screw us by forcing the gov to pull us out. it would further destabilise the region and Iraq would be even more pissed at us once we abandoned them

as for the bases in europe there the army is already scaling back on this and i belive its been in the news. by 2010 the 1st AD and 1st ID well be state side, and there going to replace those two units with a stryker brigade. this action has already started, with the HQ of the 1st ID transvering to FT. Riley KA.

Yes and yes. Good analogy with Korea and Germany. The only reason we don't also have troops in France is that they told us to leave. That is kind of happening in Iraq, but whether we'll listen to them is unclear. The ones who orchestrated this fiasco have much more invested in remaining in the Middle East. One does not easily surrender one's beachhead after invading.

No. Unless the Republicans get the house and senate back.

We also have troops in Kosovo Remember Bill's little war. Ah the good old days when war was an option if politics failed.

Yes we will be in Iraq 10 years from now.

Pull back from Europe?

Does Russia truly seem democratic now? I know so many Republicans take credit for "defeating the Russians", but in my book they could be a threat again in a month.

Anyway, we use our European bases as staging areas anyway. Also, we might run afoul of our NATO committments by closing too many of them.

If you want to close bases, close ones in the US.

Yes. Let's leave Europe and East Asia and redeploy to Western Asia, East Africa.

Shawn:

I believe it is reasonable to say that we will always maintain a influence in Iraq. Hopefully" one of guidance and without force.

I believe it is time for Usa to declare neutrality- but the government and its people are being affected by schizzoprhenia and cannot accept peace.