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Should the US pull out of Iraq?
 
Yoepus
Just interested to see the opinion of the participants of this forum on this matter.

I'd be nice if you could leave a short reply explaining your position too.

But the question is open-worded more to reflect the sentiment of your opinion then the reasoning behind it.
Purple
I voted 'Yes'.

US staying in Iraq will only increase violence.

Civil War is inevitable and it is going on right now.

I dont want this Civil War, but still I think it will only solve the problem. Let them fight and sort it out.

US should pay compensation for the damages it has inflicted to the country. And any compensation will not be enough for the lifes of innocent people killed and being killed daily in this war.

Full support (armoury), training should be given to the Iraqi army and police by US.

And US should apologise and request to UNO for introducing its peace keeping troops in Iraq.
Yoepus
Please vote before you read this.

Put Purple, I would be interested to hear your comments on this article:

quote:

source: http://opinionjournal.com/editorial...ml?id=110008124

What if We Lose?
The consequences of U.S. defeat in Iraq.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST

The third anniversary of U.S. military action to liberate Iraq has brought with it a relentless stream of media and political pessimism that is unwarranted by the facts and threatens to become a self-fulfilling prophesy if it goes unchallenged.

Yes, sectarian tensions are running high and the politicians of Iraq's newly elected parliament are taking a long time forming a government. But the attack on the Golden Mosque in Samarra several weeks back has not provoked the spiral into "civil war" that so many keep predicting. U.S. casualties are down over the past month, in part because Iraqi security forces are performing better all the time.

More fundamentally, the coalition remains solidly allied with the majority of Iraqis who want neither Saddam's Hussein's return nor the country's descent into a Taliban-like hellhole. There is no widespread agitation for U.S. troops to depart, and if anything the Iraqi fear is that we'll leave too soon.

Yet there's no denying the polls showing that most Americans are increasingly weary of the daily news of car bombs and Iraqi squabbling and are wishing it would all just go away. Their pessimism is fed by elites who should know better but can't restrain their domestic political calculations long enough to consider the damage that would accompany U.S. failure. A conventional military defeat is inconceivable in Iraq, but a premature U.S. withdrawal is becoming all too possible.

With that in mind, it's worth thinking through what would happen if the U.S. does fail in Iraq. By fail, we mean cut and run before giving Iraqis the time and support to establish a stable, democratic government that can stand on its own. Beyond almost certain chaos in Iraq, here are some other likely consequences:

• The U.S. would lose all credibility on weapons proliferation. One doesn't have to be a dreamy-eyed optimist about democracy to recognize that toppling Saddam Hussein was a milestone in slowing the spread of WMD. Watching the Saddam example, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi decided he didn't want to be next. Gadhafi's "voluntary" disarmament in turn helped uncover the nuclear network run by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan and Iran's two decades of deception.

Now Iran is dangerously close to acquiring nuclear weapons, a prospect that might yet be headed off by the use or threat of force. But if the U.S. retreats from Iraq, Iran's mullahs will know that we have no stomach to confront them and coercive diplomacy will have no credibility. An Iranian bomb, in turn, would inspire nuclear efforts in other Mideast countries and around the world.

• Broader Mideast instability. No one should underestimate America's deterrent effect in that unstable region, a benefit that would vanish if we left Iraq precipitously. Iran would feel free to begin unfettered meddling in southern Iraq with the aim of helping young radicals like Moqtada al-Sadr overwhelm moderate clerics like the Grand Ayatollah Sistani.

Syria would feel free to return to its predations in Lebanon and to unleash Hezbollah on Israel. Even allies like Turkey might feel compelled to take unilateral, albeit counterproductive steps, such as intervening in northern Iraq to protect their interests. Every country in the Middle East would make its own new calculation of how much it could afford to support U.S. interests. Some would make their own private deals with al Qaeda, or at a minimum stop aiding us in our pursuit of Islamists.

• We would lose all credibility with Muslim reformers. The Mideast is now undergoing a political evolution in which the clear majority, even if skeptical of U.S. motives, agrees with the goal of more democracy and accountable government. They have watched as millions of Iraqis have literally risked their lives to vote and otherwise support the project. Having seen those Iraqis later betrayed, other would-be reformers would not gamble their futures on American support. Nothing could be worse in the battle for Muslim "hearts and minds" than to betray our most natural allies.

• We would invite more terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Osama bin Laden said many times that he saw the weak U.S. response to Somalia and the Khobar Towers and USS Cole bombings as evidence that we lacked the will for a long fight. The forceful response after 9/11 taught al Qaeda otherwise, but a retreat in Iraq would revive that reputation for American weakness. While Western liberals may deny any connection between Iraq and al Qaeda, bin Laden and the rest of the Arab world see it clearly and would advertise a U.S. withdrawal as his victory. Far from leaving us alone, bin Laden would be more emboldened to strike the U.S. homeland with a goal of driving the U.S. entirely out of the Mideast.

We could go on, but our point is that far more is at stake in Iraq than President Bush's approval rating or the influence of this or that foreign-policy faction. U.S. credibility and safety are at risk in the most direct way imaginable, far more than they were in Vietnam. In that fight, we could establish a new anti-Communist perimeter elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The poison of radical Islam will spread far and wide across borders if it can make even a plausible claim to being on the ascendancy, and nothing would show that more than the retreat of America from Iraq.

We still believe victory in Iraq is possible, indeed likely, notwithstanding its costs and difficulties. But the desire among so many of our political elites to repudiate Mr. Bush and his foreign policy is creating a dangerous public pessimism that could yet lead to defeat--a defeat whose price would be paid by all Americans, and for years to come.
Purple
quote:


What if We Lose?
The consequences of U.S. defeat in Iraq.



You already lost this war.

quote:


Beyond almost certain chaos in Iraq, here are some other likely consequences:



I think it will be a mix of some of the consequences mentioned.


quote:


• The U.S. would lose all credibility on weapons proliferation. One doesn't have to be a dreamy-eyed optimist about democracy to recognize that toppling Saddam Hussein was a milestone in slowing the spread of WMD. Watching the Saddam example, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi decided he didn't want to be next. Gadhafi's "voluntary" disarmament in turn helped uncover the nuclear network run by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan and Iran's two decades of deception.

Now Iran is dangerously close to acquiring nuclear weapons, a prospect that might yet be headed off by the use or threat of force. But if the U.S. retreats from Iraq, Iran's mullahs will know that we have no stomach to confront them and coercive diplomacy will have no credibility. An Iranian bomb, in turn, would inspire nuclear efforts in other Mideast countries and around the world.



U.S. had lost all credibility on weapons proliferation. Libya had nothing much, it got scared that stupid Bush may fu*k them too for no reason at all (or for oil because Libya got oil too), so he opened his borders and said 'Come see we got nothing, please spare us.' And Iran is getting what it wants, US in Iraq or no US in Iraq, Iran will get what it wants.

quote:


• Broader Mideast instability. No one should underestimate America's deterrent effect in that unstable region, a benefit that would vanish if we left Iraq precipitously. Iran would feel free to begin unfettered meddling in southern Iraq with the aim of helping young radicals like Moqtada al-Sadr overwhelm moderate clerics like the Grand Ayatollah Sistani.



Yes, Iran may try to interfere, but UN Peace keeping troops in Iraq will scare them off. Concentrate more UN troops in sensetive areas like Iran-Iraq border areas.

quote:


Syria would feel free to return to its predations in Lebanon and to unleash Hezbollah on Israel. Even allies like Turkey might feel compelled to take unilateral, albeit counterproductive steps, such as intervening in northern Iraq to protect their interests. Every country in the Middle East would make its own new calculation of how much it could afford to support U.S. interests. Some would make their own private deals with al Qaeda, or at a minimum stop aiding us in our pursuit of Islamists.



US should come out with clear and bold statement that even though it is leaving Iraq for good, but that dosent mean it wont protect Iraq and Israels interest and integrity, any country try to take advantage of this withdrawl should better beware that we will keep a close eye on you. So you Syria, Turkey dont dare to touch Iraq because we can and will send our army back anytime if you enter its soil.

quote:


• We would lose all credibility with Muslim reformers. The Mideast is now undergoing a political evolution in which the clear majority, even if skeptical of U.S. motives, agrees with the goal of more democracy and accountable government. They have watched as millions of Iraqis have literally risked their lives to vote and otherwise support the project. Having seen those Iraqis later betrayed, other would-be reformers would not gamble their futures on American support. Nothing could be worse in the battle for Muslim "hearts and minds" than to betray our most natural allies.



They already feel betrayed. US has already lost all its credibility whatsoever. Noone respects US anymore.

quote:


• We would invite more terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.



US did that the day it entered Iraq. Let the present generation of Iraqi kids grow up, all the kids who have lost their dad/sister/mom in this war.... will grow up to be a terrorist one day. All the best.

quote:


We could go on, ....



Yeah, give you some more time, and you will come out with some new reason to invade Japan now. We know you could go on and on...

quote:


The poison of radical Islam will spread far and wide across borders if it can make even a plausible claim to being on the ascendancy, and nothing would show that more than the retreat of America from Iraq.



:wtf:

The poison of radical Islam? What are you trying to say? Invade China if you have balls; they have radical government too. Everyone dosen't want your formula of 'freedom'.

quote:


We still believe victory in Iraq is possible, indeed likely, notwithstanding its costs and difficulties.



Bull.

quote:


But the desire among so many of our political elites to repudiate Mr. Bush and his foreign policy is creating a dangerous public pessimism that could yet lead to defeat--a defeat whose price would be paid by all Americans, and for years to come.



You guys already profited much from the 'oil' you get from Iraq and you will be getting, so dont be concerned about the 'price'.
Kapedan
The job is not done yet in Iraq, U.S cant just pull out right now. It doesnt matter if you support the war or not, if we pull out now, it will be a mess there and a terrorist shelter.
hardcore trancer
quote:
Originally posted by Kapedan
if we pull out now, it will be a mess there and a terrorist shelter.


Are you blind?it is already happening man.:rolleyes:
Moongoose
On one hand i would like the US to stay thare for a while to try and fix the mess it made and learn they are not omnipotent and cant fix everything.

On the other hand i really think they messed up so much up until now that they cant fix it and staying there will only make things worse. So i woted yes, i belive they should pull out before things get any worse.
Marc Summers
I said "no". Only because it would really make us look bad. the world would call us "Quitters".

And that is not good.

If by chance, we do pull out sooner than expected, I would certainly hope we would provide humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. A civil war is no fun. :nervous:

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