What is our current exit strategy from Iraq?

I'd be more interested in seeing our Victory Strategy. We worry more about getting out (Exit Strategy) that getting the job done sometimes (mostly politicians).

I am not sure anyone has articulated our strategy in Iraq clearly. We are hitting ISIS sites ad hoc. We have some forces on the ground but not enough to do any realy damage. Iran is in Iraq, the Russians support Iran. We have foreign fighters (ISIS) all over a large swath. Atrocities out the wazoo. A situation created by our departure from there with no stabilizing force (you can argue the merits of a residual force).

Walk out the front door, lock it from the outside, nail the door shut, drop the keys in the sand miles from anyone, and walk the f away leaving the inmates in charge of their own asylum.

You know as well as the rest of us, we will be there forever!

I almost vomited when I read "Soooo....NOW what is our current exit strategy from Iraq?"

I'm reminded of numerous facts, histories, and narrative-tapestries woven-sophomoric by everyone around me. All sounding like experts with rock-solid ideas on how to win/stabilize/whatever. SMs, Veterans, politicians, students, teachers, journalists. . .. Everyone's unique experience and research providing them some key insight that SOMEHOW our leaders just missed. Meanwhile, bodies pile-up.

I'm not going to lie, I'm never going to get my head wrapped around this issue. I will say this: #*%! that place, and everyone who keeps fighting over it. I'd die once or a thousand times over if it brought stability to that cursed place (and just a little of that stability benefited America, of course). But it wouldn't. That's one of the reasons I declined re-enlistment, honestly.

CH (MAJ) William Beaver , my answer, as useless as it is unhelpful: Whatever the exit strategy is, it should happen asap.

I have a strong feeling there is no exit strategy. I think one thing we can do is to stop arming all of the various groups who are the favorite of the moment.
Stop trying to reshape foreign governments into democracies and let these people run their own country because obviously their leaders do not want any real advice to bring their countries citizens into the modern world.
I say pull out and let them handle their own problems, they do not seem to want our help or advice but they certainly want our money and weapons.
Never smart to replace a caveman's flint knife with an automatic weapon.

Let's call it what it is: we should've never left in the first place. The nay-sayers will say we should've never BEEN there in the first place. All good and fine, but that's academic at this point. We went in in 2003 after trying to forment a collapse from within after Desert Storm.

We made some mistakes. The CPA proved to be ineffective. We did a de-Ba'ath-ifaction of the political system which indirectly led to the insurgency, which itself led to the surge. Saddam and company are dead or ineffective now, but we inadvertently created a power vacuum that both Shia and Sunni sects have exploited.

Now we find ourselves in a bizarre hate triangle, perhaps even a quadrangle: Shia influence, backed by Iran, Sunni influence, spearheaded by ISIS as well as the Turks, Kurds and Syrians on the periphery or getting in the mix depending on what day of the week it is. In a lot of ways, this is the complete opposite of what we wanted: stability to protect the oil trade.

Mattis' talk on how and why Desert Storm was such a success is spot on: there were clearly stated and clearly understood political objectives and conditions that predicated the entire operation. That's why it was the post-WWII anomaly.

I agree with Cpl Jeff N. , what is our victory strategy? If victory isn't the goal, that's fine, but what is the strategic goal? Without clearly defined goals it's very difficult to plan anything.

We will be there fo as long as it takes to rid the region and the world of ISIS. Unfortunately we have no idea as to how long this will take. Hopefully the other middle eastern countries will wake up see there is a major threat, that is not the US, to their livelihood who has no regard to life and does not care what religious faith you are.

Arm and support the Kurds, let the Shia and Sunni duke it out until everyone has the realization that maybe, just maybe, trying to preserve lines on a map drawn by white guys a long time ago isn't the best way to do things.

Iraq will stabilize once it no longer exists. We're just going to have to convince Turkey and Shia Iraq that a wholly independent Kurdistan is for the best.

Stagecoach or a Checkered Cab.