Werent Ending News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Over. right? >> the war is ending. it's not over yet. we'll be back in two months and we'll have that conversation. >> well, actually, i wanted to ask you exactly about that. i mean, why was this such a surprising day? i mean, this status oft forces agreement has been in place. why is today so surprising? >> there are about 39,000 u.s. troops there right now on a training mission. so the combat mission is over. so troops aren't going out and invading cities anymore. that mission ended about a year ago in the footage you showed when we came out with that convoy. >> sure. >> since then there has...

Peace when we can actually engage in some thoughtful conversation about war? >> yeah, melissa, when you said this is ending, not with a parade, but with a conversation, you're exactly right. i had a -- when i learned the news that osama bin laden was killed, i, like i think most americans, had a very emotional reaction to that. i had a bookend very similar reaction to this morning watching the president announce the end of the iraq war. between those two events over the past six months, the 9/11 era is over and the 9/11 era is the george busw. bush administration that was in place when 9/11 ha...

America would be so much better off. >> well, look, you're talking here about the question of protests and right now in the streets, right here in new york city, right, americans are protesting on the questions of economic inequality. we have 40,000 troops coming home. 40,000. and the unemployment rate for veterans in this country is outrageously high. on the one hand, you know, richard and i were sitting here thrilled about the possibilities, about what it may mean for this war to be ending. on the other hand, what do you see as the domestic economic implications of this return of our veteran...

You, you said, quote, don't blame -- two weeks ago, you said, don't blame wall street, don't blame the big banks. if you don't have a job, if you're not rich, blame yourself. that's two weeks ago. movement has grown. do you still say that? >> yes, i do still say that. and here's why. wall street didn't put in failed economic policies. wall street didn't spend $1 trillion that didn't do any good. wall streetson going around the country trying to sell another $450 billion. they ought to be in front of the white house taking out their frustrations. i do stand by that. >> woo-hoo! blame yourselves...

And the in-the-street kind of protests that we have about wars and that we certainly had about the iraq war is -- it's an -- it has an indefinite and indirect effect on our politics. it creates a sense of crisis around which politicians must pick sides. and, you know, just looking at the reaction, partisan political reaction to what president obama announced today, it's a reminder about why it is really important that we have politics about these things. every single one of the republican presidential candidates except for ron paul has reacted to this by saying, you know what, i wish the iraq ...