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Published: November 07, 2009 02:46 am
GUEST EDITORIAL: What has U.S. presence accomplished in Iraq?
It’s been six years and counting since our invasion of Iraq. What has been accomplished? Certainly a brutal dictator has been overthrown and his regime silenced.
The Iraqi military forces and government are no longer a threat to any neighbors, including Israel and Iran. While shaky at best, a democratically elected government is in place. Western countries have much stronger and more flexible diplomatic and economic relations with Iraq than ever before.
The big unknown at this point is: Can the Iraqi people sustain a consensus-based government, sharing power and profit with all their citizens? It may or may not be a democratic government, but some strength to contain sectarian violence, spread economic opportunity to all citizens, and remain at peace with neighbors, and a whole host of other “democratic-like” contributions to peace and prosperity are now possible. That certainly could not be said in 2003.
In our view, American military force no longer plays a role in Iraq other than “peace-keeping.” Someone must contain the violence over time to allow democratic-like institutions to flourish. That should not be the role of American military power; it must be done by Iraqi institutions controlled solely by the Iraqi government.
It is now time for a broad and sustained military withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq. Whatever American forces of any sort that remain should be paid for exclusively by the Iraqi government.
We can argue forever about the wisdom of our invasion and presence in Iraq beginning in 2003. For sure, Iraq cannot be allowed to become another Korea, where today 30,000 American troops are held hostage to a crazy North Korean regime while “protecting” a rich and prosperous South Korea.
Withdraw now the 120,000 military personnel from Iraq, Mr. President and Congress. Do it as quickly as the safety of those troops will permit.
— The Joplin Globe, Joplin, Mo.
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