Can we withdraw from Iraq even if we wanted to?

Question

I am clearly for withdrawing from Iraq, cause I think its a waste.

BUT, so many have died already, and we already sunked in 100's of billions in Iraq, and we are building the biggest US embassy ever seen. THere is also the likely threat of Iran and syria influencing Iraq once we leave, and that can give more power and leverage to Iran which we already have a volatile relationship already.

So would it even be worth leaving iraq if we wanted to. I mean would it be more politically and military expensive to withdraw??

opinions.

Myself i did 2 tours in iraq.

Not to brag that i been to iraq, but just saying i have an idea maybe more then a layman because i have been there and interacted and seeing what really is going on there. its not a brag thing it just credibility- good luck to the ones that are still there.

i did one tour during the invasion, and another tour last year. CO USAF

I mean influencing Iraq in a way that they are allied with syria and Iran, and one day attack the us. (assuming we left before it stabilized)

Answer 1

It would be far less expensive to stay in Iraq on the remote possibility that Iran or Syria could accomplish something in Iraq that we can not.

Answer 2

we could...

I mean we did in Vietnam... and how many billions/American lives did that save? imagine if we stayed there 10 more years...

the question really deals with how long do you think it will take to stabilize Iraq... if you even think it's possible... and how much would that cost, both in money and lives...

and Iran and Syria WILL influence Iraq NO MATTER WHAT... they are now... it's an elected government that we put in... and many of the elected officials are sympathetic to Iran and Syria... nothing we can do about that...

Answer 3

The administration needs to admit that the Shiites,Sunnis and Kurds cannot exist as parts of the same country.We need to divide each region that they are respectively the majorities in into separate countries,recognize each unilaterally,declare Basra an Mosul International Cities,build huge bases in both,ask the UN and/or NATO for a peacekeeping mission to patrol the borders,and get on with the gettin' on...

This never ending occupation in the midst of a civil war is stupid....

Answer 4

Why would you expect Syria and Iran NOT to influence Iraq? Who really cares?

Answer 5

Nope.

The democracy that we are trying to plant is really the Middle East's last chance. If we fail we pretty much doom them to immolation

Unlike the USSR in the cold war, I think Ahmadinejad really will martyr his entire country. Mutually assured destruction doesn't work with a guy whose only concern is beating the opposition to the big, red button.

If you really did do two tours in Iraq than let me say thanks. If you didn't then let me call you a piece of crap for insulting the people with the guts to go.

Answer 6

As you already know, if we start withdrawing, it will take 6-12 months to get everyone out.

Answer 7

in a sense this is a 'moral' question ... one we are all asking ourselves right now

is our moral obligation to the Iraqi people, so when we leave it doesn't become a killing fields (like Viet Nam did) ... or is our moral obligation to our children fighting in the war, so we should bring our men and women home

not an easy question for anyone to answer

Answer 8

Even you fellow veterans would question your loyalty. You have more insight than most of us who only served but in peace time.

Answer 9

We could physically, but the democrats in Washington don't want us to, as evidenced by them not using their simple majority to not fun the war.

Answer 10

dude,you did 2 tours???????????????