What are the pros and cons of pulling our troops out of Iraq immediately?

Answer 1

PRO: the Iraqi troops get a lot of pretty decent equipment to keep. Since it is impossible to get all of our materials out of there in less than about a year. We may only lose an additional hundred or so troops. The democrats will be able to claim they were right about us not being able to win the peace in the region (we bugged out without fininshing the job).

CON: The Iraqi people will be left without a stable government and civil war will most likely result. hundreds of thousands will be killed, their economy will colapse, many will starve, and it will all be thanks to the fact that the US invaded their country and removed the murderous but stable government they had and then bugged out to leave them to the tender mercies of all of the players in the region who are interested in controlling Iraq's oil. The saudi's will send in people to help stabilize the region and in support of those of similar religious beliefs, the Iranians will send in people to help stabilize the region and in support of those of similar religious beliefs, and Turkey will send in people to help stabilize the region and in support of those of similar religious beliefs. Iraq will become a long term battle ground for conflicting religious beliefs, and oil interests as well as a breeding and training ground for world terrorism. Terrorism flourishes where people have an oppressive religion, a colapsed economy, little to no education, and no hope for a better future. In those circumstances, blowing yourself and a few infidels up so that you can live in style in heaven sounds like a great deal. One other thing, nobody can deny that our troops in the middle east are a magnet for all of the terrorists and Jihaddi's in the region. As long as we are fighting them in their back yard, they are much less likely to be blowing up yours.

Answer 2

Pros: Fewer American soldiers will by dying every day (some will still be dying incombat in Afghanistan, and some die in accidents and from other causes on a daily basis, too). Less money will be being spent on the military. If that money isn't spent somewhere else, the deficit might not grow quite as fast.

Cons: More Iraqis will be dying every day as the civil war heats up, millions may ultimately die by the time it's resolved, possibly including genocide/'ethnic cleansing.' Iraqi refugees will come to the US en masse, as the Vietnamese did following the failure of that war - either that, or they'll be refused and face persecution and death at home. Iraqi will either fragment or fall under the sway of one faction - most likely the Shiites, making it a pro-Iranian state. The US will lose military presence and bases - and thus 'influence' in the region - making access to strategic oil resources less secure, and thus the military weaker. The US will also be percieved as weaker and more vulnerable - more of a paper tiger - so potential enemies will be less likely to back down or accept reasonable diplomatic solutions in the near future.


Finally - and whether this is a pro or con depends on your politica outlook - an immediate withdrawl is only likely if forced by the Democrat-controlled Congress. The ensuing defeat would reflect poorly on that party, possibly costing them thier expected dominance in the forthcoming '08 election.

Answer 3

Taking our men and women of uniform out of harms way for the present, and redistributing our nations resources towards significant needs here at home - pros. The security vacuum that would be left behind would be a bloody horror, almost certain to branch out further into the region, and to be capitalized by other regional influences - cons. Although the international community, and substantial numbers here at home demand a withdrawal, eventually they will be crying foul, and demanding that we return to address the bloody carnage that follows. I have a strong desire for our troops to come home, and remain. I am also torn to see Iraq, and millions of Iraqis who have no wish for sectarian violence now present, left in chaos. Afghanistan was understood for the most part, Iraq is a blemish on our countries name and institutions of foreign diplomacy. (Which were ironically sidelined to minimal roles)

Answer 4

Pros: We stop getting our people killed and maimed. We finally can stop spending a billion borrowed dollars a day on this nonsense. We will free up money and resources for real 'homeland security' and be able to concentrate on running down the actual bad guys. We will have a good reason to move on to 21st century technology to keep the lights on and the wheels on the road once we dump this insane 'oil only' energy policy. The Iraqis will figure it out without our help. If they don't...oh, well! The cons: We don't really know because you can't predict the future. Whatever happens we'll find a realistic way to deal with it.

Answer 5

Pro- saving the troops lives.
Con- Leaving Iraq in unrest.

Answer 6

The cons are very bad indeed if we pull out immediately....luckily, nobody is suggesting that....The plans vetoed by Bush called for a phased withdrawal over the next year to 18 months.

Answer 7

The pros are the Democrat Party would take blame for hundreds of thousands of deaths.The cons are We lose America as we know it.

Answer 8

Pro - Cindy Sheehan goes away and shuts up.

Con - Iraq crumbles, Iran is allowed to build weapons, terrorists regroup, Israel is threatened, oil prices rise inconceivably higher, the world views US as laughingstock, and oh yeah we get attacked again soon.

Hmmmmm... Cindy Sheehan shuts up... maybe the rest of the Democrats, too... I'm mighty tempted... no, I guess I care about American lives more.

Answer 9

The plan became to place a goverment which will artwork for Israel and safeguard it merely like in others neighbour international places which goverments are merely there for preserving Israel and working for u . s . ! however the defenders of Iraq are killing all treators and the plan isn't look to artwork for u . s . so i think of troops will proceed to be there and could never win !

Answer 10

I think the 'Cons' far outweight the 'Pros';

Once we leave there will be massive slaughter.

The insurgents will gain a base to organize and orchestrate further violence on a scale that will dwarf anything happening now...

I could go on, but that's my opinion...