Issue: Foreign Policy: does ron paul have a PLAN to leave iraq/the middle east?

[megan]

Can someone explain RP's plans to leave the Middle East? I've read a lot of his Texas Straight Talk columns and I'm still kind of unclear on whether or not he has an actual procedure in mind.

[angrydragon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfIhFhelm8 (3 minute mark)

Design a foreign policy of non-intervention. Talk with people of other nations. Get the troops out as quickly as possible, but it can't be done overnight.

The Middle East has been in a civil war for many years, even before the US got involved.

If you're talking about oil, he'll just leave that to the market.

[Mesogen]

I think she means what would his point by point plan be to remove troops from Iraq. To answer the question, first troops would start packing up their gear. Then they would load the gear onto vehicles. Then those vehicles would transport these troops back home.

The permanent bases would be closed or maybe even turned over to the Iraqis, I don't know.

[Harald]

http://www.cfr.org/publication/13549/republican_debate_transcript_new_hampshire.html

MS. KIERNAN: Yes. Michael served in Iraq. And we have a question regarding the government in Iraq. Everyone’s talking about “Pull our troops out, pull our troops out.” Well, considering they’ve lived under a dictatorship for the last 30 years or so, what are we going to do to make sure they have a government in place before we do pull our troops out and they’re able to help themselves? Otherwise we’re just putting them in a position to accept another terrorist leader.

MS. VAUGHN: Congressman Paul?

REP. PAUL: Well, we’ve had four years to do this and it hasn’t worked. The biggest incentive for them to take upon themselves the responsibility is just for us to leave. We don’t need to lose 100 men and women every month, more than 1,000 per year. And so you want it done. You want them to take over. You’ve got to give them an incentive.

So I think we should immediately stop patrolling the streets. That’s a policeman’s job. It’s not the work of the Army. We’re not fighting a military battle. We’re in a different type of warfare right now. So the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we can make sure that no more Americans will die.

[Bradley in DC]

[REP. PAUL: Well, we’ve had four years to do this and it hasn’t worked. The biggest incentive for them to take upon themselves the responsibility is just for us to leave. We don’t need to lose 100 men and women every month, more than 1,000 per year. And so you want it done. You want them to take over. You’ve got to give them an incentive.

So I think we should immediately stop patrolling the streets. That’s a policeman’s job. It’s not the work of the Army. We’re not fighting a military battle. We’re in a different type of warfare right now. So the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we can make sure that no more Americans will die.

You beat me to it. Nicely done.

[megan]

I think she means what would his point by point plan be to remove troops from Iraq. To answer the question, first troops would start packing up their gear. Then they would load the gear onto vehicles. Then those vehicles would transport these troops back home.

The permanent bases would be closed or maybe even turned over to the Iraqis, I don't know.

okay. does ron paul understand that it is a little unrealistic to say "screw this" and literally bring EVERYONE home and cut off all support without some kind of transitional period? I want to know the details of this transition.

[dspectre]

okay. does ron paul understand that it is a little unrealistic to say "screw this" and literally bring EVERYONE home and cut off all support without some kind of transitional period? I want to know the details of this transition.

This is the transitional period(I don't know exactly what Paul has in mind).

By the way the Iraq congress voted for us to leave(From what I understand, we are the focus of hatred from the insurgents). By us leaving, the responsibility would fall on them to make things work. Playing mommy and daddy for the past few years has not worked...Personally, I don't see how it is going to work for the next few years...