Good Richard's Almanac: Withdrawal From Iraq A Bad Idea. No, Really?

November 14, 2006

Withdrawal From Iraq A Bad Idea. No, Really?

It seems the NY Times is afflicted with Sherlock syndrome.

One of the most resonant arguments in the debate over Iraq holds that the United States can move forward by pulling its troops back, as part of a phased withdrawal. If American troops begin to leave and the remaining forces assume a more limited role, the argument holds, it will galvanize the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing and rebuilding Iraq.

This is the case now being argued by many Democrats, most notably Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who asserts that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq should begin within four to six months.

But this argument is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policies.

First, it seems the geniuses at the Slimes are only now considering whether withdrawal may or may not be a good idea. After all, they still seem to think the argument for withdrawal is one that resonates.

What I'm wondering is when did the party of the poor and down-trodden become the party that argues we should toss our allies into the river and scream, "Learn to swim or die!"

Do not be fooled. A policy of galvanization is a policy of turning our back on our allies. We must not throw our friends to the wolves, lest we be willing to lose a vital stronghold in the middle east.

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Comments

One american is more important than 1,000 iraqis to many people (on both sides of the aisle). However one does have to admit that force is failing to achieve the desired result. In order to 'win' in Iraq it is essencial to find the causes of discontent in the majority of people there and fix that problem. It may be machivallian but it is never the less true, people with jobs are far less likely to pick up guns and shoot at you. America must decide if it wants to try to save Iraq. If it does it must fight both the military aspects of rebellion, as well as the underlying problems that exist that push to people to those ends.

Posted by: jony at January 15, 2007 11:18 AM