Question for advocates of immediate withdrawal from Iraq?

Good question. Thanks for asking.

I, too, have been opposed to the war in Iraq from the beginning, and I am in the military (17 years). I was extremely skeptical of the rationale, and really wondered why so few countries were supporting the "coalition of the willing".

Anyway, that's neither here nor there...

I was always told by my mother that I had to clean up my messes...even if it meant not being able to go outside to play, or even to soccer practice. Unfortunately, we made a mess in Iraq, and we are obligated, by morality if anything, to clean it up before we leave.

Now, at the same time, my mother also insisted that if a friend was staying with me, he had to help me clean up my room as well before we got to do fun things. That being said, I believe that the Iraqi government needs to do their fair share to help. As EVERYONE says these days, the solution is not only a military one, and their government has got to step up to the plate and insist on more accoutability from the Iraqi people, their police forces, their military, as well as from the non-governmental organizations that are over there assisting with stability.. Our military is currently broken, and cannot sustain the deployment schedule we are currently on...at some point we have to be able to slow down the deployments and start pulling back our troops...if we don't, we're going to have a crisis on our hands. We have spent over a billion dollars this year in bonuses and other incentives to military members, which I think is fine, but at the same time, we're still hurting. Folks I know have been there 3 times in 5 years...that's too much.

As far as my prediction? I don't predict the same doom and gloom as some...I think that things will get messy, and I think that there will be some needless deaths after we leave. Perhaps it will go into civil war, if it's not already there now...At the same time, I also do not think that staying there for 10 years is going to product a thriving democracy where the Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds get together on a regular basis to sing "Kum Bah Ya". No matter WHO ends up the ruler of Iraq (President? Dictator? King?), he/she (she...yea, right) will have to be EXTREMELY strong, which, of course, may end up giving the world another Saddam. We need to prepare for that possibility, as it very well may happen.

If - the last American soldier leaves! I myself I'm very opposed to any war. I don't like violence whatsover and I am a strong Advocate in ending the war in Iraq. It was senseless to begin with and it is senseless now. More than 1,500 U.S. soldiers have died, and tens of thousands are injured or sick from the Iraq war. This is a very heavy price that is being payed even after the elimination of Saddam Hussein.

A withdrawal is necessary at this point. It can take many forms, a military withdrawal needs to include stopping construction on the 14 "enduring" military bases that are being built to provide the United States with a large military presence in the region. Withdrawal needs to mean that the U.S. military will leave the country, completely.

Then, a corporate withdrawal is also needed. The U.S. has tried to remake the Iraq economy so that U.S. corporate interests could take it over. Paul Bremer put in place rules that allowed for massive foreign ownership and domination of Iraqi businesses, low corporate tax rates, immunity protection from lawsuits, and now allowing workers to form trade unions. The U.S. needs to give Iraq its economy back and let them determine their own future.

During the Clinton administration economic sanctions brought ruin to the Iraq economy, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives. The current illegal war and occupation have devastated the country. Therefore, the US does have partial responsibility to the Iraqi people, so that Iraq can become a functioning nation again. However, we should not allow U.S. oil and other corporations to profit from the illegal invasion and occupation of that country. Control over Iraqi oil and other assets should be exercised by Iraqis.

If the U.S can let go, then the war will be gone! I don't know what Bush has done here or what he is thinking, all I know is that he gets to sleep in his Big White House, while the troops are out in the Iraq deserts, dying, and fighting for what has becoming a lost cause!

Tootles

I think we need to pull back "re-deploy" Let the Iraqi people settle it themselves, if we see it going the way Afghanistan did with the Taliban we have the forces to handle it. However, Iraq was doomed from the start. All one has to do is crack open a history book and see for themselves.

We don't owe the Iraqi people anything. Our brave servicemen have died for a reason, A lie is the reason. Perhaps we could try to glorify their deaths, but the fact is we are trying to help those who are not willing to help themselves. The best way to support the troops is to get them the h out of harms way. Sadly, in the end we will have wasted our resources and more importantly a bunch of young talented men and woman who had a long life a head of them.

Furthermore, this "surge" will be a total and complete failure. I am not wanting this, I know this. Wake up people, spend a few minutes researching this for yourselves don't take my or anyone else's word for it.

Submitted by a vet and military historian.

What's going to happen?

I think that there will be score settling, even a bloodbath. There is a group of Sunnis who systematically target police stations, Shiite mosques, and markets, to sow chaos. The police and army is little more than a front for various militias.

This is a civil war, and this is what happens in it. Depending on how the finances work, it goes on for at least a year.

Lebanon's civil war lasted for fifteen years. They didn't have the population of Iraq nor the oil money.

Eventually a Shiite-controlled government arises. It takes some time to repair infrastructure and get the country back to what it was before the invasion in 2003. There are variations, with the Kurds splitting off into their own country. I don't know enough for a prediction.

The war in Iraq is complex--but the core problem is that the Iraqi people want us gone--and large segments of the population are fightng to expel what they see as a foreign invader. In addition the Iraqi government has pretty much zero credibility.

After we leave--the violence will continue (or restart) until one faction or another gains control. Most likely this will be in the form of an Islamic state.

If we are to have any influence with this eventual regime, we willl need to be active in diplomatic and other non-military areas in order to develop a relationship for the future (whether we find that regime to our liking or not).

That's not a very attractive scenario. But that is going to be the outcome--whether we stay 20 days or 20 years. The only real question is how long are we going to throw away more lives--American and Iraqi--before we leave.

Because of how long we have been there now and the ensuing civil war, if we left a massive bloodbath would consume the country. Iraq would cease to exist because Turkey would invade the north and wipe out the Kurds. Iran probably would join the carnage to exact revenge on Iraqi's for the 1980's war. All told we would have to return and the death toll would be immense.

Lets face it War isn't that appealing at the sight of death and carnage. We as Americans are to far caught up in the political pull of both sides of the fight. that we take ones word for it as a whole. We need to educate are selfs as indaviduals.

Reality is the only way to know the truth is to wittnes it first hand other wise your taking it for what you feel it is.

I would love to wake up one day and see the worlds children playing in the streets not worrying aobut bobms and the wars of there fathers pasts.

Bringing home the troops now wouldn't be the best plan. Not with out a goverment thats in complete control and an army that can protect its self.

Civil wars will happen if we like it or not. America had its civil wars we didn't get to be the way we were 60 years ago. when Civilians took pride in America and those who protect it with thier lifes. Words mean nothing wiht out actions. words mean nothing with out reason. Words mean nothing. Actions speak louder than words.

Having a son there for two years serving over 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and now going back for a third year 2007 and 2008, I (we) firmly believe that if we pulled out now all will be for not. The newly elected government of Iraq and its people will not stand a chance. Syria and Iran will see to that as Iran has already hand their hand caught in transporting weapons to the terrorist there. It will escalate and Iraq will be no loonger, it will in fact be part of Iran and or Syria. The blood shed that has happened in the past for years will look like childs play by the time it is all over. Then you have to look at what intervention Israel will do, as this threatens their National security. Iran has said publicly that they will wipe them off the face of the earth. So while this is happening, will they stand by and watch or will them do a limited premitve nuclear strike? If I was them I would!

The same thing that h as happened in Iraq for thousands of years...they will continue fighting.....and American men and women can stop losing their lives because of it.... let the U.N. step in... its a civil war, with global implications and the UN needs to come up with a unified global plan....

The Civil War will continue in Iraq, terrorists will continue to suicide bomb, but the difference is that our soldiers will be safe and able to protect our country if attacked. These people were raised to fight on the basis of religious sect, its the equivalent of Lutherans at war with Baptists, which sounds really ignorant. If we get out know, we will save American lives and be able to fight terrorist effectively at home.