Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Iraq

Now, I know I appear to be a couple of weeks late on this topic, but the truth of the matter is that I am right on time. We all knew the moment would come, that American troops would be leaving behind the battlefields across the Middle East. After all, they can't stay there forever and who would want them to. The question has always been about timing. 


After spending nearly 9 years in Iraq, after spending billions of dollars rebuilding a nation that has lacked major internal infrastructure improvements since the 1970s (by the way, this is why the rebuilding of Iraq has taken so long. Saddam loved his money, but didn't spend very much of it on his people), we come to a moment in which most of the troops have left Iraq with mainly contractors and diplomats staying behind. Most of those troops will return home for a few and then be rerouted to Afghanistan. Now that we know what's going to happen with the troops, the question remains of what is going to happen to Iraq.


Since the troop withdrawal, Iraqis have seen an influx in sectarian violence. Suicide bombings continue. Roadside bombs continue. The war continues. Now, we're all hoping that the Iraqis can handle this on their own. They, after all, have had extensive training and all the "perks" that come with nation building. The truth of the matter is, the chances are there that the city will delve into peril, continuing to fight one another trying to claw their way to the top. We are essentially right back where we started. Now, I'm hoping I'm wrong on this and the truth of the matter is that it was bound to happen sometime (the U.S. couldn't occupy Iraq forever), but it remains to be seen whether or not democracy will stand alone in Iraq.


I am reminded of a quote (one in which my friend Courtney will squeal about) from the movie Lions for Lambs in which a fake Senator  (played by Tom Cruise) tells a reporter (played by Meryl Streep) on the topic of withdrawing troops from combat too soon that "when we are forced to go back in a couple of years, we will be faced against a shattered Iraq, a hopeless Afghanistan and a nuclear Iran. How many troops are we going to need then? I guarantee you will be adding some zeros."


I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


For more information see: 


http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/05/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

and

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/05/opinion/hayden-iraq-troops/index.html