Is there any reason for the U.S. to still be in Iraq?

Answer 1

Oil, media misdirection, lies, propaganda, war-profiteering, creating fear in the populace to justify restricted freedoms, no-bid contracts to Haliburton and other criminal cronies of Bush and Cheney, justifying past mistakes, preventing the American people from seeing the truth, setting up military infrastructure for another war with Iran, making limited global conflict seem "normal" to insure unlimited financial opportunity for international bankers, religious intolerance, genocide...

Oh... I'm sorry...

Did you mean, "Is there any GOOD reason?"

No. Absolutely none.

Answer 2

yes. The only thing standing in the way of a massive genocide in Iraq right now is American Soldiers.

If the US were to pull out right now there would be a massive free-for-all of ethnic cleansing and power struggle -- the guys with the most guns win and all of Iraq loses.

Not only would that be a humanitarian tradegy far outstriping anything done in Bosnia (where we stayed for 11 YEARS) or even Rwanda (200,000+ dead in the first 6 weeks) but it would throw the region into chaos, which is distinctly against US national interest.

1. The most likely result of the civil war right now would be a partition of the country into 3 parts -- The kurds declaring an independant Kurdistan in the north, a Shia south and Suni center/west. Ethnic cleansing on the borders and across bagdad as each group tries to expand its territory.

2. Independant Kurdistan would incite the other kurds -- in Iran, Syria and mostly Turkey -- to rise up and want to join that nation. Resulting in guarenteed brutal action to stop it in all three nations and probably a lot of cross-border actions or actual invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan by at least 1 but maybe all three nations. There is also guarenteed bloody fighting in the oil field region that lies right between the kurdish and sunni areas.

3. The Shia south is already being funded and infiltrated by Iran -- remember Iran and Iraq fought a 10 year war for control over this region. If Iran cannot secure absolute political control they will use the conflict as an excuse to send several tens of thousand 'volunteers' from their army into south Iraq to 'help our shia brothers' and take effective control over the oil fields and access to the gulf.

4. The sunni region is the place that Al Quida has the strongest base in -- they will work to ensure that area stays unstable so they have a secure base of operations and training in the western desert. That gives them easy access into Saudi Arabia, Jordon and Syria. The locals here have the least ability to maintain an independant state since they have the smallest oil reserves and no free access to be able to ship what oil they have. Besides, they are the most nationalistic and will be the ones doing most of the aggression against the other two parts (for a primer, see Serbia and their actions in Kosovo) as they attempt to regain their power as leaders of Iraq.

Net result is utter chaos, lots of dead people, and the ones that do win out will be the biggest thugs or the ones with the strongest ties to places like Iran / al-Quida who will not be looking for either peace and stability in the region or anything good for the western world.

Answer 3

Look, in Iraq and other countries, there are many Islamic militant groups. If the US leaves then there are fears that it would encourage rival groups to sieze control and this would bring about instability.

On the other hand if we don't leave, then Iraq will never stand on its own two feet and it will burn holes in our pockets.

Also neighboring countries have said they will step in once the US leaves to support the Iraqi government (which is good) but countries like Iran may well support Islamic law (which is pretty bad imo).

So I guess one of the reasons we are in Iraq still is because we don't want Iran to step in and pick up the pieces and look like saviors while we look like we ran off home.

The human and monetary cost is unsustainable though.

Answer 4

ill admit the justification for defending liberal extremists like you against al qaeda is a little daunting when even after 911 and the obvious evidence, for some reason, you cant absorb the real threat of jihad but because were all in this together we have no choice. stop burying your head in the sand and do what every other liberal seems to do in times of confusion. wilkopedia jihad and al qaeda and until you understand what a holy war is please stop wasting peoples time here with partisan diatribe already answered THOUSANDS OF TIMES on previous posts...thanks.

Answer 5

Yes. In short, we broke it, now we have an obligation to fix it. If it can be fixed.

Was there ever a valid reason to invade Iraq? No, but it's done now.

Answer 6

Yes, because the government wants them there, and there they will stay. No light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Answer 7

Yes there is. If you speak to most of the soldiers that have fought over there they would tell you the same.

Answer 8

Yes, infact quite a few good reasons, maybe you should strap on a set of boots, go there and check it out instead of just bottom feeding from what the media reports.

EDIT

LOL, you people that havent been there yet ranking me negativly, I am loving it.

Answer 9

Yes.
1- USA must stay in Iraq to plunder the oil and all of poor iraqi people.

2- USA is still has some power, it must be fully defeated before it leaves iraq.

Answer 10

Probably because the Iraqi government wants them there.