Should we leave Iraq quickly or over years?

Question

Some say we should leave Iraq as quickly as safely possible - months. Others say we must phase the withdrawal over years. Some say we must keep a residual force there indefinately. What do you say?

The following is from Bill Richardson (Dem candidate for Pres)

"I want you to see a column that ran in yesterday's Washington Post:

Five years on, the Iraq war is as undermanned and under-resourced as it was from the start. And, five years on, Iraq is in shambles.

That sounds like something I'd say. I've been calling for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops since I entered this race.

But I'm not the one who wrote yesterday's column.

Twelve U.S. Army captains wrote it. And they join a growing chorus of military voices demanding an immediate change in our country's disastrous Iraq policies."

Answer 1

People who want a residual force want troops there to "protect our Resources"! That is oil and that is no reason for us to be there.

Iraq is a nightmare which is unwinable and totally botched by Bush who is incompetent!

Like Vietnam, we should get out. There is no winning and all that is piling up is our money going for corporate welfare, fraud and body bags!

Answer 2

If the U.S. withdraws from Iraq at this point then everything we have done, every life lost, everything we are working towards was worth NOTHING! I think that in time and with the "right implemented plan" that we can secure Iraq. I above anyone was against the war, especially after my fiance is there for the next 15 months, but I have learned through him being there currently and through other sources that we CANNOT withdraw from Iraq. If we did Iraq very well might attack us. I mean half of the Iraqi people already hate us for trying to take over the country. If there is no rule and order at all in their country of course they will conspire to do something crazy to the U.S. Many of the Iraqi people are happy to what we are doing in their country. In a phone call from Iraq yesterday my fiance was telling me about how kids, women, men run up to them in the streets of Baghdad when they are doing their patrols and thank them. There are people who come out of their homes no matter what time of day or night to wave at the soldiers as they past by. They want their country to have civil order, they want the risk of being blown up at any moment to go down. They want to live their lives!! If we pull out now is that truly moral to all of the people there who want to live their lives. Think about it!! How would you feel if the U.S. were in the same situation. Would u want to live in those conditions?

Answer 3

I think the Kurds in the north would be fairly autonomous and perhaps declare their Independence. The rest of the country would be left to the Shiite's and the cleric with the most powerful and organized militia. The current Iraqi government would most likely fall apart within 6 months. I'm thinking that the anti-American cleric Al-Sader would set up some type of religious Iranian style government amid a general purging (murder) of almost every Sunni in sight. All this under the nodding approval of Iran. They don't want democracy they want Sharia and death to the infidels, crusaders and occupiers. I don't think Iraq would pose much of an external threat since it would be mired in it's own self destruction. Isn't 7th Century Islamo-fashism great?

Answer 4

If we leave Iraq quickly without the Iraqis having the ability to defend their borders, Iran will attack the Sunnis from the East and Turkey will attack the Kurds from the North and the country will be an even bigger mess than we've already made. I want our brave soldiers out of there, but we made the mess over there and we have to fix it. Thank you soooo much George W. Another fine mess you've gotten us into.

Answer 5

The facts are it will be over a course of years before we leave Iraq. Iraq is not stable and we will not leave one of the world's largest oil fields to fall into insurgent hands. The column you showed is politically motivated so don't pay attention to it. Iraq will be an issue in the upcoming campaign and no matter who wins we will be in Iraq for years to come.

Answer 6

We can not leave Iraq. If we do the terrorists will follow us back to the USA and wage their holy war in our own back yard. They already have sleeper cells here awaiting orders to attack. They are very patient people and will wait us out or until we have been lulled into thinking everything is ok. Our govt. has not done a good job of protecting our borders. We are not safe here in America. That is way we must keep plugging away at them in Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc...

Answer 7

Keeping troops there over a long time will just keep breeding hatred of America and keep Americans dying. Withdraw in under a year for sure.

Okay, I feel pathetic for being on this site for about an hour now. I'm signing off this....

Answer 8

well a complete withdrawl is out of the question. one we have people in Korea, Germany, Isreal, Turkey, Afganistan...i mean really thats wahy war is has been hard i=on the USA because its not on our turf so we have to maintain a certain amount of control to be sure the work or the war is not undone.....but my friend let me tell you....it does not depend on oil proces or politcal campaings If and when russia and iran team up for this nuke thing a lot of people are in BIG trouble, and im talking about civilians, like you and me.DO you want our troops in a posstion to be able to respond in a matter of hours or weeks???

Answer 9

Staged withdrawel, if we just tuck tail and run it will bite us in the butt

Also, we created the problems in Iraq, it is up to us to fix them, if we leave we'll be creating a lot more probkems

Answer 10

Immediately. Our presence caused the terrorism problems to form there and our continued presence only inflames the situation. Our soldiers and their civilians are going to continue to die for a political/corporate agenda.