Withdrawing from Iraq: Part I

While I was recently shopping around Border's books, I took a look at the bargain rack just for fun, to see if there was anything of interest. I happened to come across a stack of the same book, which for whatever reason, had ended up outside for a low cost of only $4 (for a relatively new book.) The book was called Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal Now by George McGovern and William R. Polk. While obviously not on the current NY Times best seller's list, I vowed to read the book, which was only 135 pages long, and see what their opinion was on ending the War in Iraq.

Previously, I've listed my own theories or the theories of people I've talked to on how to get out of Iraq. This will be more or less a summary of what I got out of the book. (Note: Quotes from the book are between '....' and other quotes are "....")

First, without going into too much detail, the plan stresses that it is 'the fundamental right of Iraqis to manage their own lives.' Simple enough. However we must also keep in mind that this is not the first time that someone from the West has tried to create a democratic state in Iraq. Remember in the 1920's when the British tried that? The "democratic" state in Iraq was corrupt on a large scale, with power being distributed to those whom the British effectively placed into power. The Iraqi view of democracy was thus corrupted into something that usually equated to 'special privilege or tyranny.'

The view many Iraqi's now hold of the American attempt to impose democracy is that it is an alien form of government at best, and is actually turning into something that is more and more UNlike a democracy. It is only when 'America can respect the right of Iraqi's to determine their own future' that America's image worldwide will improve and the situation in Iraq itself will begin to improve. Here we go:

1. 'Staying in Iraq is NOT an option' - A concept that may be hard for some in the government to understand is that pulling out does not make America look like a bunch of sissies. If anything it is a noble action to take. A majority of Iraqis, well over three quarters, view Americans as occupiers rather than liberators. This has been a significant reason why there are terrorists in Iraq now whereas there where none prior to the invasion.

It is also in America's best interests, financially speaking to withdraw. The war is costing taxpayers nearly $237 million per day. Although the book's deadlines have come and gone, they propose a phased withdrawal that would take about 6 months. Some in the Bush administration have said that announcing that we are withdrawing would cause the terrorists to hold off until we've left before a surge in violence would occur. Here's what they need to realize:

'At the end of every insurgency we have studied, a certain amount of chaos erupted as the participants readjusted their relations with one another...and established civic order...This predictable turmoil gives rise to [this] argument' and that we must 'stay the course.'

This argument is false.

The head of a Marine civil affairs team, Major Brent Lilly, 'told the Washington Post on Aug. 4, 2006 "Nobody wants us here...if we leave, all the attacks would stop because we'd be gone."'

It's simple: Iraqi's haven't fought off the insurgency because for the most part, the insurgency is on their side, trying to get rid of a common 'enemy.' Once Americans leave, any continuing violence will be opposed by Iraqi's and the insurgency will lose it's support base and fizzle out. Withdrawal is the only logical solution, for the betterment of both America and Iraq.

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Because of the extensiveness of the plan, I've chosen to do this in a series. Don't be surprised if it racks up to half a dozen blogs or so! My next post will deal with how the Iraqi government would handle this withdrawal. Stay tuned...

Sources:

George McGovern, William R. Polk (2006) Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal Now New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks