forces from iraq. let's see what happens in iraq over the next few months. one thing i think we should be looking for and see if it comes up in the q&a -- actually, there they are. >> please, have a seat. good afternoon, everyone. when i took office nearly 150,000 american troops were deployed in iraq. my pledge to end this war was possible. today only several thousand troops remain there and more are coming home every day. this is a season of homecomings. military families across america are being reunited for the holidays. in coming days, the last american soldiers will cross the border out of iraq with honor, and with their heads held high. after nearly nine years, our war in iraq ends this month. today i'm proud to welcome prime minister maliki, the elected leader of a sovereign, self-reliant, and democratic iraq. we're here to mark the end of this war to honor the sacrifices of all those who made this day possible and to turn the page, begin a new chapter in the history between our countries. a no

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started the kind of like a dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the duration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of us officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy at all in iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans to feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there the rock is it seems to me felt that there is to choose sions have some kind of a back up that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left that has been dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but did all feel as confident as before because they feel that they have lost that s

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started the kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the ration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of the u.s. officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy in on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans who feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there the rock is it seems to me that there is to choose to have some kind of a backup that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left there's the delta psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident as before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm going t

black water seeps back into iraq now operating under a new name the u.s. based military contractors accused of killing civilians are turning to the country as american troops finalize their departure. six am in moscow a good to have you with us here on our team our top story this hour russian president dmitri medvedev has pledged greater influence to the country's opposition the move comes in the wake of widespread protests after reports of violations during the country's parliamentary vote for more we had the fate of the pools addressing the concerns of a the election violations he once again reiterated that old these claims are going to be fully investigated no you'll say heads into looking about the plight of the opposition to going to have to play in the medium is saying that they should have the best say in the team a committee of course we had all through the elections a united russia. parliament she majority that teeth as majority say. about the military they will have to what much place with the opposition in the feats. to boston and decisions that

everything that happened there i've always believed anybody who lived in iraq as i have lived in iraq that. nobody goes there for tourism. it's a complete. a country which is hot it's fifty degrees centigrade most of the time flies the best. there's nothing to see except plain does what are you there for you there for your own obviously otherwise why would anybody spend a trillion dollars to go lose about forty five thousand two thousand what for and the reason is the oil in iraq is plenty. and second it's very high quality very high grade you don't need to find very much to some for content is very low and just below the surface costs a dollar to think about a dollar and a half to three years or a lot and therefore anybody who has access to the. can be. a game changer as far as the politics of oil is concerned and i think that's precisely why the americans are there and how do you think the united states' pulling out of afghanistan is going to affect india well obviously it's in our neighborhood it's going to stand is in the neighborhood of course it makes a difference because natura

iraq's sovereignty must be respected iraq now home to the largest u.s. embassy in the world and while the combat troops are gone sixteen thousand will stay to guard the embassy today we mark the end of operation new dawn now the flags are being lowered though the story colors of flight number or they will never fade the memory of all who have sacrificed so much the bases cleared out to bring the promise of freedom to the people of iraq it was a freedom never asked for and came with a high price for both iraqi and american citizens the war was neither painless nor prompt it love the people of iraq with a country destroyed by a decade of war teetering on the verge of sectarian chaos as to change the nations try now to look ahead christine for r.t. . there are of course not just the events of the war but the results of those events and the implications it had on the past present and future of this country and its place in the world so let's talk about all of this with the war with iraq war veteran r.t. blogger vera tow in london and michael o'brien who work

iraq is destroyed. every aspect of iraq is destroyed. there is a lack of acknowledgment from america to say, we're sorry. from an iraqi perspective, it doesn't malt ter whether you are republican or democrat or bush or obama. as far as iraqis are concerned or the people outside of america, this is america, one country, one president to represent the population. no apology, no acknowledgment, actually nothing to say, you know what, we screwed up in iraq, big-time, big-time. that's my issue with this lack of -- with the packaging, everything is okay. >> i think those two things relate. these two points, because i think, matt, what you are saying is part of why the end of the war has happened with such a sort of quiet and almost sort of shameful whimper, this thing has happened off in the corner. for the overwhelming percentage of americans, nothing changed during the war or after the war. people went about their lives, because they weren't serving. their kids weren't serving and their friends weren't serving. >> the first time in american

it certainly wasn't iraq. and with regard to our standing around the world, the united states looks like it's the gang that can't shoot straight given what's now happening in iraq and given what's happening in afghanistan. it's never good for a country to go into wars and to lose those wars. you want to win the wars that you fight. and that's why you want to pick your wars smartly. and we made a huge mistake here in deciding to opt into this foolish war. and now we're paying the price. and of course as i said initially, we're also paying the price in afghanistan as well because we took our eye off the ball. >> brown: so megan o'sullivan, just in the last minute here, when you say, you argue that this is all still in play, we still have to look at the long arc of things here, how long? what do you look for to happen to know where this is going to end up? >> well, let me just point out that one of the things we're seeing is that iraqis, they're having a major political crisis. and so far they're looking to resol

security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left that has been the dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident be as before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm going to jump in here we're going to get our short break we're going to go to a short break and after that short break we'll continue our discussion on iraq state park. and if you. still. want to. come to the future thank you yours wishes on technology update next generation placings made from super strong cultural lightly building materials would help with the help of nuclear isotopes a clear plan it seems to be a revolutionary way to get rid of our growing landfills and a long list of russian invaders. leave the country. to emulate. feel any. way it. was. well you know little three month we're talking about iraq's prospects. ok hilary i'd like to go back to you in washington what's the learning curve here i mean usually this program we have a lot of debate it looks like we're all agreeing

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started a kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the duration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of us officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy in on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans who feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there they rock is it seems to me that their institutions have some kind of a back up that they could build the institutions on if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left there has been dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but did all through those coincident before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm going

military command in iraq is closing down. it means that the only mission left in this country is to pull out the some 4,000 american troops that remain in iraq, but the military command, the iraq war as we have known it for the last nine years, is ending right now. there are a speech going on by the defense secretary. they've been talking about the accomplishments that have been made. they've been talking about how saddam hussein, a dictator, a tyrant, has been toppled and that iraq now has the opportunity to build a new future. it's very different, however, from what we're hearing when we speak to iraqis off military bases like this one. what we're hearing from iraqis is that they are very worried about their future. yes, saddam was a tyrant, he was removed, but they worry that sectarian tensions could come back to the forefront, that the civil war that iraq lived through and struggled through in 2006 and 2007, might return again, although they're not exactly sure in what form. iraqis are very nervous as the u.s. military co

but all the soldiers leave iraq operation iraqi freedom the combat mission in iraq will be over. for in the morning . we hear. there are. combat soldier. it's a quake yes the gates are closing right now seeing what we just saw right here live with that gate closing down the last u.s. combat you are totally covered in grease ball. that's honestly is becoming pathetic the way the mainstream media decides to toe the line regurgitate everything that our officials say despite the fact that it's just blatantly not true ok fine you want to go on technicalities you can say that all u.s. troops will be leaving iraq at the end of the year but it's really so convoluted because of the thousands of people that will stay there you have to get into it so it's not so cut and dry it's not so black and white do you really think that people forget that quickly they've played this entire it's over again before and let's talk about the iraq we've now left behind not only trillions of our own money spent thousands of troops who lost their lives who knows how many contractors have lost their lives and

they gave birth independent, free and sovereign iraq. >> question, are we leaving iraq voluntarily, or were we thrown out? eleanor. >> a little bit of both. i think obama campaign has already done an ad saying promise kept. this president ran on getting us out of iraq, and he has kept that promise. so yes, we got out because it was time and we wanted to. but we also wanted to leave a residual force behind, and we couldn't negotiate with the iraqis that they would accept that, and prime minister -- malachy's problem he couldn't accept that after nine years, there's a lot of anti-american sentiment. they're not grateful for us having liberated them by any means. but -- >> isn't that something? >> it's totally understandable. but they didn't want us there. and there's a great deal of concern that he spent a lot of time in exile in iran, and iran and iraq will become aligned and that free independent iraq that -- president bush envisioned and this administration would like to see is -- not going to come into being. >> what do you think, pat now that we've taken care of saddam hussein, and

troops in iraq have been leaving iraq at a quick pace. lately they've been leaving at a rate of 500 a day. republicans have criticized the impending end of the iraq war, saying that we should stay there longer. vice president cheney saying he thinks the united states should have negotiated to keep 15,000 or 20,000 american troops in iraq. the pro-war "washington post" editorial page lamenting today the administration didn't try very hard to leave thousands of american troops in iraq. john mccain has been calling bringing the troops home a failure. defending the war represents failure, what would success be? the administration sees ending the war as success. in their words, they see it as a promise kept. >> president obama and i came to office absolutely determined to bring this war to a responsible end and to keep the promise we made to the american people and the people of iraq that we would meet our commitments. we will keep our promise to remove our remaining troops from iraq, which when we came to office numbered 140,000 american forc

he said what happened in iraq, success there could benefit iraq and the region and the u.s.. in a certain way, eloquent, i thought tribute to what we achieved over a difficult eight-year period there. and then he as charles says, he in substance throws it all away not being serious about leaving the serious u.s. presence there to help hold iraq together and help them, the counterbalance to iran instead of succumbing to iranian influence. to me, watching the statement, appropriate and somewhat moving made even more, made me even more unhappy and obsessed about the fact he didn't negotiate an agreement to leave reasonable number of u.s. troops there. >> bret: what is the reasonable number. it? at the end, negotiation had it to 10,000. then down to 3,000. >> the generals wanted 20 to 25, comparable to the presence in the countries after the second world war and korea, elsewhere, germany and japan. it would have been less but it would have been effective. >> bret: that is it for the panel. stay tune to hear from a presidential candidate's biggest supporter. @xóx >> bret: final

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started a kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least for the duration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of the u.s. officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy in on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans who feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there the rock is it seems to me that there is to choose sions have some kind of a backup that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left that has been the dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident as before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm goin

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started the kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the ration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of the u.s. officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy in on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans who feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there they rock is it seems to me felt that there is to choose shows have some kind of a backup that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left that has been dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but did all through those coincident be as before because they feel that they have lost that su

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started a kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the duration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of us officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans to feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there because it seems to me that their institutions have some kind of a backup that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left that has been dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident as before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm going to jump in her

it is clear that what america wants from iraq is not what iran wants from iraq. you have this balance of power between america and iran which is shifting with the end of u.s. forces in iraq. >> there is a u.s.-iran dimension, no doubt, and there is a difference of attitude, although the u.s. and iran both wanted saddam out. but beyond that, beyond the establishment of a temperaturic iraq in which the shiah majority was empowered, there are significant differences between iraq and iran. we would like to maintain military presence beyond the end of this year, and the iranians are opposed. they used their influence cleverly to preclude such a presence. but now we can adapt by using intelligence as a means and some of the other military relationships with iraq. turkey willles be very important. that is the other key player. >> when you were the ambassador to baghdad, and you envisioned the day that american forces would be leaving the country, are they leaving the country better off or worse off than you had imagined back then? >> well, i think it is better off than

especially in iraq and. iran has been very strong so i think as i said from the beginning this is the biggest american blunder in the twenty first century ok hillary i'm going to give you the last word in the program what should the united states do in the region in light of its official withdrawal from iraq. the united states needs to stop igniting sectarian conflict throughout the region and stop hitting two different axes against one another right now the united states has developed an access a washington reality television for a mile access against attack on baghdad. beirut potentially damascus even maybe. the middle east we have to be instead of dividing the sectarian divide or break it together ok when you when you have twenty seconds go ahead in tel aviv. i think what we see yes it was caused by the united states of course it opened up a pandora's box but the hatred between sunni unfortunately has existed for many centuries that existed even before. that on this program i want to thank my guests today

and as broad obama celebrates the end of the iraq occupation iraq is point to the devastated infrastructure and unstable government american troops are leaving behind. ranjit singh was india's ambassador to iraq in the one nine hundred ninety s. his analysis of the u.s. troop withdrawal from iraq is simple washington will still try to control the country's rich oil reserves prius reader caught up with him in new delhi. president obama has announced the united states will definitively end the war in iraq at the end of this month but as the united states attempts to get the military personnel and contractors out of the country questions still remain about the implications of this decision for security in the region joining me to help discuss this is the former indian ambassador to iraq and the author of the book the ultimate prize saying kala things so much for joining me first of all i want to ask you about the recent terrorist attacks in iraq obviously there have been quite a few in the past few years and they've claimed hundreds of iraqi citizens lives do you think there is still a role fo

contractors in iraq now because replace u.s. forces with contractors because there was always a lot of contracts in iraq so when the generals came to congress and said that one hundred thousand troops they never accounted for the extra seventy five thousand so there's one hundred fifty seven u.s. military they're going to be left in iraq after thirty one december they are twenty two they do not have weapons they carry passports this war is over from that standpoint they are there to issue a quick end to the iraqi army f. sixteen s m one a one tanks and items there are seven hundred fifty contractors that specifically support that mission all the other contractors that you hear about for that mission are third country nationals people from india guards around the gate from the guy in the butt look we've got a gun in iraq for years getting paid five hundred dollars a month to protect our bases all because we can't afford a counterinsurgency but to you does that not mean that that this war or whatever it is that this conflict was w

iraq's sovereignty must be respected iraq now home to the largest u.s. embassy in the world and while the combat troops are gone sixteen thousand will stay to guard the embassy today we mark the end of operation new dawn now the flags are being lowered now the story colors will fly no more they will never fade the memory of all who have sacrificed so much the bases cleared out to bring the promise of freedom to the people of iraq it was a freedom never asked for and came with a high price for both iraqi and american citizens the war was neither painless nor prompt it loves the people of iraq with a country destroyed by a decade of war teetering on the verge of sectarian chaos as to change the nations try now to look ahead christine for our tea. there are of course not just the events of the war but the results of those events and the implications of had on the past present and future of this country and its place in the world i want to put up a survey of opinions in iraq now that the combat troops are gone now when asked who benefited the most from the w

leaving and leaving iraq and the infrastructure was destroyed iraq is going to assume veneer of democracy but the fact it's in the field to really politicians i think the biggest winner of this war on america leaving is iran and this one of the militias of which has gotten out of the connection to iran i think has been left into a theocratic really and the future i think you've got to. kind of rule america has a moral responsibility to help iraq but i think it's for secret ok you know if i can go to you do you see any positive outcome from this at all because i mean i asked if there is any winners and i picked up on one of them i mean the united states' position in the region in the arab world is in tatters and mr obama's calling it a profound event well i suppose it's profound in that sense. yes i mean it is it is profound in terms of the u.s. strategic position which if you compare the u.s. strategic position in the middle east and globally today with what it was on the eve of the u.s. invasion in two thousand and three it is quite dramatic keep in mind on the eve of the u.s. invasion o

he said what happened in iraq, success there could benefit iraq and the region and the u.s.. in a certain way, eloquent, i thought tribute to what we achieved over a difficult eight-year period there. and then he as charles says, he in substance throws it all away not being serious about leaving the serious u.s. presence there to help hold iraq together and help them, the counterbalance to iran instead of succumbing to iranian influence. to me, watching the statement, appropriate and somewhat moving made even more, made me even more unhappy and obsessed about the fact he didn't negotiate an agreement to leave reasonable number of u.s. troops there. >> bret: what is the reasonable number. it? at the end, negotiation had it to 10,000. then down to 3,000. >> the generals wanted 20 to 25, comparable to the presence in the countries after the second world war and korea, elsewhere, germany and japan. it would have been less but it would have been effective. >> bret: that is it for the panel. stay tune to hear from a presidential candidate's biggest supporter. [ male announcer ] it'

he said what happened in iraq, success there could benefit iraq and the region and the u.s.. in a certain way, eloquent, i thought tribute to what we achieved over a difficult eight-year period there. and then he as charles says, he in substance throws it all away not being serious about leaving the serious u.s. presenc there to help hold iraq together and help them, the counterbalance to iran instead of succumbing to iranian influence. to me, watching the statement, appropriate and somewhat moving made even more, made me even more unhappy and obsessed about the fact he didn't negotiate an agreement to leave reasonable number of u.s. troops there. >> bret: what is the reasonable number. it? at the end, negotiation had it to 10,000. then down to 3,000. >> the generals wanted 20 to 25, comparable to the presence in the countries after the second world war and korea, elsewhere, germany and japan. it would have been less but it would have been effective. >> bret: that is it for the panel. stay tune to hear from a presidential candidate's biggest supporter. [ male announcer ] it's

bases in iraq. those days are over but rather the kind of training and assistance we offer to other countries. given the challenges we face together in a rapidly changing region, we also agree to establish a new formal channel of communication between our national security advisers. and finally we're partnering for regional security, for just as iraq has pledged not to interfere in other nations, other nations must not interfere in iraq. the drawdown in iraq has allowed us to refocus our resources, achieve progress in afghanistan, put al qaeda on the path to defeat and to better prepare for the full range of challenges that lie ahead. so make no mistake, our strong presence in the middle east endures and the united states will never waver in defense of our allies, our partners or our interests. this is the shared vision that prime minister maliki and i reaffirm today. an equal partnership, a broad relationship that advances the security, the prosperity and the aspirations of both our people. mr. pri

in iraq. that's why i called on president obama to return to the negotiating table. >> leon panetta, the secretary of defense, commuted we were going to have a presence in iraq going forward. they were unable to negotiate a status agreement to allow the troops to remain. >> a caveat here, the last one was mitt romney speaking with "the des moines register" editorial board last week and right after what you heard he just said there, right after he said not leaving up to 30,000 troops in iraq is a failure of the obama administration. this is what he said immediately thereafter. >> but as is the wind-down in iraq appropriate? yes. >> to be fair, like on everything, you can put mitt romney down as being both for bringing the troops home and leaving them there. whatever you need to hear. mark him down as for and against. most of the other republican candidates, at least the ones not named ron paul, think ending the war in iraq is a bad idea. they think that the problem with the iraq war is that it'

forces in iraq. general lloyd austin speaking now. >> after more than eight years we have seen great progress. progress that has enabled our military to transition to the lead for the u.s. efforts in iraq to our partners in the embassy. and progress that has given the iraqi people opportunities that they have not seen in their lifetime. this would not have been possible without the many sacrifices, the tireless, dedication and bravery and the magnificent performance of our men and women in uniform, our coalition partners and our core of dedicated civilians. and i could not be more honored to represent all of them here today, as we begin a new chapter in our strategic relationship with iraq. secretary panetta, ambassador jeffrey, general and mrs. dempsey. general mathis, distinguished members of the iraqi government, iraqi security force leaders, fellow general officers, command sergeants majors, partners and friends of united states forces iraq, good afternoon and thank you one and all for joining us

we can have a future in iraq. they told us they don't want us there any more. >> for going back without another invasion or another declaration of war. >> i'm not sure that that's the case. we have got some 20,000 people there. we have got training missions. we're collecting intelligence. we're providing the iraqis an alternative to iranians domination. as much as there is iranians influence in there, there is a lot of concern even among the shia population. >> do you think american troops can end up back in that country? >> well, i don't know. this is certainly not what anybody wants. but on the other hand, there are going to be lots of security linging in there. there might be some american troops that go in there in a very covert fashion. i wouldn't draw to much of this. the iraqis want to be a separate nation. all of the blocks do. nobody wants to become part of iran. what you have got is a game of chicken right now. various groups are moving and shoving back and forth. they know what the risks are because the

security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left there's the delta psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident as before because they feel that they have lost that support ok i'm going to jump in here we're going to get our short break we're going to go to a short break and after that short break we'll continue our discussion on iraq today marking. and. still. want. welcome to the future new year's wishes on technology update next generation placings made from super strong older lightweight building materials to help with the help of nuclear isotopes a cleaner planet thanks to the revolutionary way to get rid of our growing landfills and a long list of military russian innovators. leave the country. wealthy british scientists on. the tirelessly. market. come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max concert for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cars a report on our. plate and you can. start. welcoming all the time peop

what happened in iraq of the u.s. invasion is the united states has ignited sectarian tension and conflict in the middle east which is having profound effects ripple effects throughout the region i think syria is a critical piece here so is saudi arabia of course iran is the one positive thing as is as the united states withdraws even though we had a very bloody to day today in baghdad in iraq as the united states withdraws the one positive potential peace here is the united states will have less of an ability to actually use iraq as a battleground for this sectarian tensions that we've been igniting in the region that's the one potential positive but it would require from here in washington and of course there's not that much hope of it but it would require from here in washington for us to recalculate our position in the region instead of setting the different states and sectarian interests against one another we should be bringing them together in a way similar to what we did in europe awhile ago with the organizat

iraq's new dynamic is on display here every day. after nearly nine years it's iraq's shiites who have benefitted the most. they have won this country. the united states toppled a dictator who's been replaced by a shiite government with close ties to iran. it's hard to imagine how that was ever part of the plan. across town at baghdad's famous book market, karim hanoush, himself a shiite, doesn't want american troops to leave. he says iran has calculated all this very well. they want a shiite iraq so they can control the assets, economy and politics. fear of the growing power in iran is stronger in the sunni strong hold of faluja which remains violent. a bomb killed policemen here just after we arrived. compared to other parts of iraq there's been little development in sunni towns. this building was destroyed by u.s. forces seven years ago and still looks like this. people here accuse the government of persecuting them, ignoring them, trying to cut sunnis out of the new iraq. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: a cloth me

the situation in iraq is not the situation in iraq in 1979 when saddam hussein began to purge others and then take control for himself and his family. the pattern is way far off. i do agree with faisel that, yes, there are measures that are causing concern and they should cause concern. the constitution in iraq should be followed. but also it should be followed by everybody. i mean, this is the problem with the setting in iraq. all of the political process that has been going on in iraq is not constitutional as faisel knows. it is extra constitutional. iraq is running according to an agreement where they got together and divided the political pie away from the constitution and away from the results of the elections. >> woodruff: let me.... >> so we are having a consensus among iraqi politicians not to follow the constitution. they admitted many times in official settings including the first session in the iraqi parliament that they brought the constitution and they continue to do so. so, yes, i think it's causing concern but i would not.... >> woodruff: but.... >> making a comparison

the situation in iraq is not the situation in iraq in 1979 when saddam hussein began to purge others and then take control for himself a his family. the pattern is way far off. i do agree with faisel that, yes, there are measures that are causing concern and they should cause concern. the constitution in iraq should be followed. but also it should be followed by everybody. i mean, this is the problem with the setting in iraq. all of the political process that has been going on in iraq is not constitutional as faisel knows. it is extra constitutional. iraq is running according to an agreement were they got together and divided the political pie away from the constitution and away from the results of the elections. >> woodruff: let me.... >> so we are having a consensus among iraqi politicians not to follow the constitution. they admitted many times in official settings including the first session in the iraqi parliament that they brought the constitution and they continue to do so. so, yes, i think it's causing concern but i would not.... >> woodruff: but.... >> making a comparison to

not like in iraq no iraq we went into iraq not to establish a democracy we went into iraq because the administration believed that saddam hussein's iraq was a threat to the united states why didn't the us just get out of iraq as soon as they found out that there is nothing there what they should have done. you have to have to ask george bush why he didn't do that do you think iraq's vast oil reserves had nothing to do with the decision to go to iraq i don't believe that. we went into iraq because iraq has over with that's the question iraq has a world to be sure and if we need oil from iraq we'll buy it and we don't seize other people's oil fields and send the oil back to the united states we buy oil we import roughly half of our oil so what you're saying you couldn't afford having saddam hussein getting rich and powerful considering to hated america it wasn't just rich and powerful it's a question of what behavior one could anticipate and he had invaded kuwait as we know he had invaded iraq as we know. nobody knew what he was going to do next there has been a number of surveys that s

everything that happened there i've always believed anybody who lived in iraq as i have lived in iraq that. nobody goes there for tourism it's a complete. a country which is hot it's fifty degrees centigrade most of the time flies that. there's nothing to see except plain does what do you therefore for your own obviously otherwise why would anybody spend a trillion dollars to go lose about forty five thousand two thousand what for and the reason is the oil in iraq is. and second it's a very high quality very high grade you don't need to find very much to some for content is very low and just below the surface costs a dollar to think about a dollar and a half to three years or a lot and therefore anybody who has access to the. can be. a game changer as far as the politics of oil is concerned and i think that's precisely why the americans are there and how do you think the united states pulling out of afghanistan is going to affect india well obviously it's in our neighborhood it's going to stand is in the neighborhood of course it makes a difference because naturally be people who are

after the american left iraq withdrawal from iraq we could see straight away in two days not in maliki has started a kind of like dictatorship he kicked out his partners from government and i think we are descending down a kind of at least a noose for the duration between the three parts of iraq ok if i go back to you i mean it's very it's very interesting to me is that as as the departure of us officially leaves we see all of these events unfolding very quickly i mean is there really any kind of democracy in on iraq or is it just been a fiction for americans to feel that they've done something right. to be honest with you i think until until the americans were there because it seems to me that their institutions have some kind of a backup that they could build institutions and if it all went wrong they could count on u.s. security presence in iraq to help them and i think now that the u.s. military has left there's dealt a psychological blow those institutions still exist but they don't feel as confident as before because they feel that they've lost that support ok i'm going to jump i

in iraq. that's why i called on president obama to return to the negotiating table. >> leon panetta, the secretary of defense, communicated we were going to have a presence in iraq going forward. they were unable to negotiate a status agreement to allow the troops to remain. >> a caveat here, the last one was mitt romney speaking with "the des moines register" editorial board last week and right after what you heard he just said there, right after he said not leaving up to 30,000 troops in iraq is a failure of the obama administration. this is what he said immediately thereafter. >> but is the wind-down in iraq appropriate? yes. >> to be fair, like on everything, you can put mitt romney down as being both for bringing the troops home and leaving them there. whatever you need to hear. mark him down as for and against. most of the other republican candidates, at least the ones not named ron paul, think ending the war in iraq is a bad idea. they think that the problem with the iraq war is that it

in iraq. that's why i called on president obama to return to the negotiating table. >> leon panetta, the secretary of defense, commuted we were going to have a presence in iraq going forward. they were unable to negotiate a status agreement to allow the troops to remain. >> a caveat here, the last one was mitt romney speaking with "the des moines register" editorial board last week and right after what you heard he just said there, right after he said not leaving up to 30,000 troops in iraq is a failure of the obama administration. this is what he said immediately thereafter. >> but is the wind-down in iraq appropriate? yes. >> to be fair, like on everything, you can put mitt romney down as being both for bringing the troops home and leaving them there. whatever you need to hear. mark him down as for and against. most of the other republican candidates, at least the ones not named ron paul, think ending the war in iraq is a bad idea. they think that the problem with the iraq war is that it's n

there is me previous to iraq and me post iraq. aside from the injuries that i'm still dealing with, my personal outlook and my whole... my whole persona is different. what greg said about this being the most important thing we might do in our lives, to date that was true. i know that i had an impact on the lives of several iraqis and on the soldiers and marines. they had a significant impact on me. so i would agree 100%. >> brown: it was, of course, a very controversial war. kelly daugherty, as we said, your experience led you to become an advocate against it. tell us about that. >> right. well, going over to iraq initially i was not supportive of the invasion but i thought maybe we would be able to do some good. so i tried to look on the bright side of things. my experience definitely did transform me. it showed me the reality of military invasion and occupation and what effect that has in people's lives. and then returning home, you know, iraq is a life- transforming event to take part in a war and an occupation. while the actua

military mission in iraq. joining me in the studio is retired army colonel and msnbc military analyst jack jacobs. thank you for being with us here so early. as we watch this nearly nine years and see it's almost hard to believe the end of this war in many ways that was controversial and unpopular, what will the tone be today? >> it's going to be a demonstration of some success. probably in the speech, there's going to be a litany of all the things that have been done well and not much focus on the things that are done poorly and maybe just a hint that there is work to be done. we are leaving, but we're not leaving completely. there will be several hundred, if not, my guess, several thousand left behind in country to do administrative and logistical tasks, continue some of the training that's required, some command and control, and there are also going to be some american troops in and around other countries that are nearby. i'll give you an example. we have what's left of a 99-year lease on the airfield in ku

of iraq to go into kuwait. it is a mission of high security because militants in this regionn right to the very end would love to kill americans if they could. everything they have heard went smoothlyy and without incident. it is gone and we watched the trucks go through the passing point all throughout the night. the troops have been cheer on honking theirr owns and playing music as they go by. very happy and relived. they are held nup the crossing point, waiting to come into kuwait. they will be advancing on about an hour to camp virginia. that is where they will be processed and that's where they will continue on home. certainly they will be out of the regionn as promised and dictated by an agreement with the united states and iraq by the end of the year . hopefully according to president obama that was his president and hopefullyy home by christmas. they are held up right now as they are talking to the custom's guards and then we'll see heavy armored vehicles and protected the sold yerse day in and out thro

and iraq go from here? more with our panel after the break. >>> back now talking about iraq with our distinguish panel, paul bremer, james cartwright and robin wright. you of course have a new book out. "rage and rebellion across the islamic world." when you look at the position we are in right now, there are many, many questions as to whether iran is going to sort of fill the void in iraq and eventually lead the united states to an adversarial relationship. if you will, with iraq as we walk out the door. how do you see the united states avoiding that scenario and putting itself on the right track, if you will, with iran? >> well, iran's clearly one of the strategic winners out of this. the united states managed to eliminate one of the two arch rivals that iran faced. and so iran has had -- has gained a much stronger position. at the same time, i think that once the united states withdraws, that the historic tensions between arabs and persians along the strategic border are likely to resurface and that the

everything that happened there i've always believed anybody who lived in iraq as i have lived in iraq that. nobody goes there for tourism it's a complete. a country which is hot it's fifty degrees centigrade most of the time flies that. there's nothing to see except plain does what do you therefore. obviously otherwise why would anybody spend a trillion dollars to go lose about forty five thousand two thousand what for and the reason is the oil is plenty. and second it's very high quality very high grade you don't need to find very much to some for content is very low and just below the surface costs a dollar to think about a dollar and a half to three years or a lot and therefore anybody who has access to the. can be. a game changer as far as the politics of oil is concerned and i think that's precisely why the americans are there and how do you think the united states' pulling out of afghanistan is going to affect india well obviously it's in our neighborhood. going to stand is in the neighborhood of course it makes a difference because naturally the people who are indulging in terr

his service in iraq wasn't over. he returned for another tour of duty in 2009. >> they have 95 percent i would say downtime. >> pumping it into the house and the blood gets flowing you have to do something. >> wilson has some advice for those returning home from iraq. >> take your time get reconnected with your family. don't expect for your family to be the way it was. you have to give it time. >> how has two tours in iraq changed the father of two young sons? >> the things you get uptight about it was not a big deal. i was happy to be alive. if i was happy to be in one place. every day is a good day. i can't complain. >> like 2006 mustafa abdullah worked three years as a military interpreter. >> at that time my family starts receiving serious threats. i was terrified. >> major chris phelps an officer of the 5th civil affairs group steps up to help. >> being a great guy a great marine he tried everything within his man power to bring me to the united states. >> in april 2006 mustafa got the news he hoped for. >> we g

troops have left iraq. and over the next few days, a small group of american soldiers will begin the final march out of that country. some of them are on their way back to fort bragg. general helmut said they know that the last tactical road march out of iraq will be a symbol and they're going to be a part of history. as your commander-in-chief, i can tell you that it will indeed be a part of history. those last american troops will move south on desert sands. and then they will cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high. one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the american military will come to an end. iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. america's war in iraq will be over. [ cheers ] >> now we knew this day would come. we've known it for some time. still there is something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long. and nine years ago american troops were preparing to deploy to the persian gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. many

across the region iraq is forging new ties of trade with its neighbors and iraq iraq is assuming its rightful place among the community of nations. for the first time in two decades, iraq is scheduled to host the next arab league submit, and what a -- summit, and what a powerful message that will send throughout the arab world. people throughout the region will see a new iraq that's a country in which people from different religious sectses can dissolve differences peacefully through the democratic process. when we end this war and as iraq faces its future the iraqi people must know that you will not stand alone. you are a strong and enduring partner in the united states of america. and i are reaffirming our common vision in keeping with our strategic framework agreement, and it will be like the close relationships we have with other sovereign nations. simply put, we are building a comprehensive partnership. prime minister, you've said that iraqis seek democracy, a state of citizens and not sects. so we're partnering to strengthen the institutions upon which iraq's democracy depends.