When is it official that we have won the war?

Question

or lost it? I am in the process of trying to understand if we should or should not start pulling out of the war and how it will hurt or benifit the US to do so.

please no sarcasm ...

Answer 1

Looks like the proof will be shortly after they kick us out.  That is what they now want.  I really believe they will go ape c**p and kill each other after we leave.  Win or lose?  Depends on what we hoped to accomplish.

Answer 2

When the surrender papers are signed

Answer 3

What constitutes "winning the war" hasn't been clearly defined by Bush nor McCain.  So it is impossible to know what they feel is the turning point.

The Iraqi govt. forced Bush's hand on a timetable for withdrawl, which is the only reason why Bush capitulated to one.  Otherwise, we would be in there for another 100 years.

At this point, it appears that the Iraqi govt. can finally handle most situations on their own and are needing US forces less and less (which is a good thing).  So hopefully that means the war is won. However, McCain has yet to admit that.

Leaving Iraq will save taxpayers about $11 billion per month in occupation related costs.  

Answer 4

if we pullout we lose if we stay until the iraqis dont need us anymore we win. we're there as a police force and to rebuild iraq so they can fight alqued and the taliban instead of us

Answer 5

That's a good question, and I'll answer it without sarcasm for ya.

I personally don't think pulling out is a good idea because the Iraqi people are in such a precarious position. You have to remember that we went into their country, tore out their government, and destroyed their towns...we owe it to the Iraqi people to replace and rebuild. I don't care how long it takes, personally...I just want us actually DOING it. If you knew what most deployed service members were actually doing out in Iraq, you'd be rather surprised.  

Answer 6

We won the war in about a week.  America has the most sophisticated and prepared military in the world.  Unfortunately, without a plan to pull out, our brave soldiers are forced to be international policemen and policewomen in a country having a civil war.

We won, but getting out is the hard thing.  And then we will spend billions rebuilding Iraq.

Whatever happened to America first?

Answer 7

Traditionally, when the enemy government signs surrender papers.  

Additionally, wars are often declared a victory when the war aims or goals of one country or side has been met.  In the Korean war, the US (and UN) stated their goals as preventing the destruction of the Republic of Korea by North Korea and later China.  Those goals were met when the armistice was signed, legally permanently dividing the country into North and South Koreas.    

In the case of the war in Iraq, it would, hypothetically, be won when the Iraqi government forces are capable of defending the Iraqi people from the rest of the Iraqi people and outside threats such as Iran and Syria.

Our goal in Vietnam was similar to the goal in Korea, and the US finally admitted it couldn't achieve that goal and withdrew forces.  

The problem with Iraq is that there's been a whole series of goals or aims declared over the coarse of the war, and many simply can't be met.  Initially, the goal was to prevent Saddam from supplying (non-existant, as it turned out) WMD's to terrorists.  Then it was to effect a regime change and overthrow Saddam.  Then it was to stabilize a country which we had destabilized by overthrowing Saddam and the entire Ba'ath party and dissolving the Army and the Police.  Now?  Gosh, who knows?  There's some murmurring about trying to drive Al Qaeda out of Iraq, but that's a hope, not really a realistic goal, and I don't think anybody thinks it can be accomplished.  

I favor the idea of withdrawing US forces from Iraq as soon as possible, leaving advisors and spcial operations personnel to support the Iraqi forces as long as possible.  I think the invasion was poorly planned right from the start, and thjat we've done irreparable damage to Iraq.  If we want to fight terrorism in the world, we need to have more boots on the ground in Afghanistan and more emphais on intelligence and police-type operations globally to find and arrest terrorists without having to launch a full scale invasion of any country.  Just my opinion, of course.  

Answer 8

America always wins because it is America.

Regardless of the facts.