So how about having the Iraqis vote on the US military presence?
If they vote for it, it would support the US military because the Iraqi people ASK us to keep helping.
IF not, fine. Here´s your fully liberated and democratic country, Iraq. You´re very welcome for our deposing Saddam. Good luck to you, we have other fish to fry. Call us again if you decide you need help.
That would work for me…What do you guys think?
A vote now would never work - too much violence and intimidation, too many politicans getting themselves blown up and too much fear.
If the US and UK pulled out now, the whole country would collapse - you think it’s bad there now, it’s nothing to what it would be without the coalition presence.
Any referendum at the moment would be hugely biased
It would need outside moderation if it were to be deemed fair or independent (look at Zimbabwe) and consequently we would have to police the polling booths anyway.
Admittedly having coalition forces outside the booths could be deemed influential. but certainly less intimidating than having thugs at the polling booths enforcing their opinion on the elctorate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1864922.stm
an Election or a referedum can be rigged! People can be made to vote against their interest with enough pressure. 
a vote now would not work, everyone that came to the polls, is at least a “civilized” Iraqi, so they would most likely vote pro US. the iraqi’s that want us out are the terrorists, and they are not going to vote.
no votes, death to the infidels! :shock:
WTF??? Thats my point. Im sure the law abiding people want us.
I kinda expected that view from you. :roll:
yes mike, your right the law abiding people do want us. but if we want a fair poll, then all iraqi’s must vote. so do you think that there is a majority of law abiding citizens?
Most of the people fighting us are not wearing uniforms and could vote if they wanted to. Of course lots of people in Iraq fighting us are not Iraq citizens so should not have a vote.
My point being…in a perfect world everyone would vote and we wouldn’t have to worry weather we should be there or not, the vote would determine that.
I cannot be more agree
Its not that simple.
Your perfect world scenario - firstly wouldnt have us in Iraq,
Secondly We do not want “democratic elections” we want to stabilise the country, an election in Iraq could be entirely democratic and elect Murderous scum if that was what the democratic process reuslted in. (we dont want that) We need them to elect a liberal pro-western, centre field political party. Which is why we have to sit in Iraq until they come to accept that “it is good for you guys too.”
This is a stupid question.
If you don’t want to be there now, then you shouldn’t have been there at the start.
If you pull out now, the whole of Iraq goes down the pan.
Doesn’t matter if they want you there or not, we invaded and pulled the infrastructure out from under them, so we stay there until they can stand on their own two feet.
Full stop.
Pull out now and the country goes into melt down. And is 10 x worse a few years from now.
i also think that a vote would be a good idea, but…there has to be some reason why it has not happened yet.
Then don’t answer Einstein. :?
Then don’t answer Einstein. :?[/quote]
I think Mr Einstein has a valid point. Why go there in the first place if you dont have a clue about what to do afterward?
I am still in awe of the press release on catching Saddam.
Ever since we “won” we were either going to find him alive, find himn dead or not find him. Speech writers had plenty of time to construct a rousing announcement to the known world, Rallying support behind the war on terror and outlining the plan for hte future pof Iraq.
The press release went…
“Ladies and gentlemen - We got 'im”
7 bloody letters - a missing (have) and a poorly annunciated “him.” It was fucking atrocious. Talk about ways to come across as being in ocntrol and switched on, This was the opportunity for all the coalition forces to showboat their success and outline their intentions for the future, and we got… a Numbskull at a podium.
We started a war aware that we would win it, but with no clue as to what to do with Iraq once Saddam was deposed.