Why doesn't the U.S. get out of Iraq? Their mission was to remove Saddam & they did, & not be policemen right

Answer 1

Why do people make this so complicated?!

Its easy, if you consider the geo-politics:

Saudi Arabia has been on a knife-edge for years. It has a pretty iffy ruling class and zero democracy. It has a large and growing fundamentalist movement that wants to see the House of Saud brought down. Its probably only a matter of time until it succeeds.

Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves in the Middle East (maybe in the World). It is located south and west of Iraq, which separates it from Iran.

If Saudi Arabia fell to the shi'ite fundamentalists (likely) the West would lose its biggest source of oil. Worse, it would come under the control of the country with the third largest oil reserves and a powerful animosity to all things Western - Iran. In between Iran and its new acquisition, Saudi Arabia, would be Iraq, which has the secoond largest oil reserves.

So, if Iraq falls to the fundamentalists it falls to Iran, so does Saudi Arabia and, to all essential purposes, the West has lost the Middle East and all its mineral wealth. Worse, the West with its rabid oil dependence would have to give whatever Tehran demanded for the oil (and that may not be in monetary terms alone).

So Iraq is a buffer betweeen Iran and Saudi Arabia on the one hand and an ongoing major source of oil on the other. It is the critical domino. If it falls they all fall, and less strategic, but otherwise friendlty places like Jordan would go too.

Finally, in a World where Tehran rules a shi'ite fundamentalist oil-funded empire that extends from Pakistan, through the other 'Stans. including Afghanistan and oil rich Kazakhstan, all the way to the Middle East, the African coast and beyond, where would the West be? Its power would be broken and the new World order would emerge so fast - China, India and much of Asia one side, the West the other and the new Islamic Empire in the middle - with the oil.

So - its all about oil. Surprised? Course not ... its simple really!

PS: Never believe any crap about freedom, democracy, WMDs etc. No US Government ever gave a sh1t for such things - its all about power, votes, oil corporations and World dominance. All of that adds up to who owns the oil fields.

Answer 2

The easy answer is to avoid a civil war. To cut and run now would guarantee more chaos and militantcy than staying. I think the Iraqis will get their own house in order, but it will take time, more than anyone anticipated. The removal of Saddam created a power vacuum where religious & tribal tensions festered just beneath the surface. Add the radical Islamist element and you've created a perfect storm. The pre-invasion plan very poingantly failed to allow for these issues.

However, the US successfully occupied places after wars in Japan, Germany, & Korea. Maintaining forces in other countries mandates interaction, vigilance, and respect of those being occupied, and brings its own host of problems. Likewise a military presence doesn't guarantee peace & security. At best the military can help preserve what peace it can and help the Iraqi's determine their own great future. I pray they can still form a consensus to that end.

Answer 3

The US doesn't get out because they don't want to leave Iraq a failed state. While Saddam is gone, and that was the objective, leaving a nation in the Middle East that is unstable and that has the potential to actually be worse than when we got there. Ultimately we're trying to follow the Boy Scout maxim of leaving a place better than when we found it and we aren't there yet.

Answer 4

The success of Iraq as a peaceful democracy is vital to our own security and to the stability of the middle east. Currently, we are fighting Al Qaida there, which is what our war on terror is all about. Some have viewed this as a negative thing. I don't. I think if we are drawing Al Qaida into the fight in Iraq, it is a good thing, because it is much better to fight them there than in our own streets in the United States. It is sad that we are losing men in this battle, but it is much more fair of a fight to have trained military dealing with them than to let them loose on civilians.

The goal was not just to remove Saddam from power, it is to defeat terrorism. Too many people have forgotten about 9/11. Fortunately, our President isn't one of them.

Answer 5

Saddams animals are still prowling the country. We already let the Iraqis down once. I'd rather we 'get out' of Israel. Most of our problems in the Middle East would end quickly.

Answer 6

There is something called a monkey trap. You place a banana in an empty coconut shell with a hole ontop to lure a monkey. The monkey wants the banana so first stuffs his fingers into the tiny hole. He fails to get the babana with his finger so he tries three fingers. He succeeds only in touching it this time. He convinces himself that if only he tries harder he'll get his loot. So he stuffs his hole hand into the shell. He gets the banana but cannot remove his hand from the shell. He's got his precious banana but cannot shake lose the irritating coconut shell around his hand. He is now doomed to his fate. You figure.

Answer 7

Well, you can't just go in, take out the leader, and leave. You sort of have to provide some support. Otherwise another dictator will just take over again.

Answer 8

The US think they are the universal police for democracy. . . and they are not done yet in Iraq . . . they are still there right on track of their mission.

Answer 9

they cant just leave they need to be able to let the iraqis be able to protect themselves they are not at that level yet

Answer 10

remember one thing....you have to keep your enemies close....otherwise they have a chance to get worse.....if we weren't over there "babysitting"....the U.S. may have already been mandatory to wear gas masks at this point!!!