This paper takes the position that the US should bring all, or nearly all, troops home within a matter of months as this will bring down insurgency. I believe the complete withdrawal from Iraq within months is possible and that US would be better using its resources to help the economy, it would reduce insurgency and it would save more American lives.
Bringing all or nearly all troops home within a matter of months is a possible thing to do. At least three Democrats in Congress favor this type of withdrawal and they are as follows: The first one is by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA) who suggested the convening an international peacekeeping force to lend a hand the Iraqi government in security matters and at the same time launching a relatively rapid withdrawal of US troops.1 A possible objective to this is whether the United Nations would be willing to lend an international peace keeping force. It may be recalled that before US attacked Iraq , the United Nation was not supporting then the attack on Iraq. What the US did was organize a coalition of the willing which includes several countries including the United Kingdom. I believe that whether the UN will help or not , maintaining international peacekeeping force could still be organized from willing countries.
Another Democrat supporting withdrawal is Rep. Marty Meehan who has proposed reducing the US military presence to about thirty thousand 30,000 personnel within 18 months; and that the remaining troops would provide the Iraqi security forces with ongoing training and combat assistance.2 Again this also possible way of withdrawal and in fact could be like the solution in the proposal of Rep. Lynn Woolsey in case the United Nation will not lend its hand for the pull out. Another Democrat lawmaker supporting the pull out include Senator Edward Kennedy, who has proposed the most detailed plan.3
It is clear that both the proposal of Kennedy and Meehan’ proposal highlights greatly the speeded up training of Iraqi forces and that all of proposals agree that the US military occupation has become the main motivator of the insurgency and “rejectionism”.4
Withdrawal of troops in a matter of months form the Iraq benefits the US economy. The US would be saving billions of dollars by doing this early withdrawal of troops. It cost the US economy to maintain troops in Iraq financially.
Pull out would also save more American lives. Up to this time Americans are dying in Iraq due to suicide bombing and bringing home the troops would be most practical solution to the problem. Why wait for more Americans to die when it could do now.
Aside from the three proponents of pull out in the matter of months may still be deemed to be supported by those that puts no deadline. Conetta cited some Congressional Republicans who have shown interest in advancing the discussion of withdrawal without the deadline. The list includes Rep. Howard Coble (RNC), Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa), Senator Chuck Hagel, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). It may be argued that absence of time may not contradict the immediate pull out in months if circumstances warrant.4
Pull out would also reduce insurgency. Since the problem in Iraq has become an insurgency the wisdom of using another country’s force to quell insurgency within Iraq is simply not wise. Conetta cited the following as kinds of insurgents whose number may be reduces as result of pull out.. They include committed foreign extremists, former regime diehards, criminals, and a larger group of contingent players or “fence sitters”
This paper was able to prove that complete withdrawal from Iraq within matter of months is possible as shown by the support of some law makers. There are also those who favor withdrawal of nearly of troops but they do not just want to put a deadline. Despite these apparent objections to almost immediate pull out of troops it may be argued that there is fact a support from decision makers to pull out troops from Iraq. The non giving of deadline therefore may imply also giving in the matter of months to pull out troops. This paper has shown proof that US would be better using its financial resources to help the economy in case of savings in billion dollars. Finally the possibility of reducing insurgency in Iraq and even its homeland are also parts of the most relevant cause for the pull put of troops within matter of months.
Work Cited
- The Woolsey plan, endorsed by 24 other democrats including Dennis Kuchinich, calling for withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, 2005. Web.
- Rep. Marty Meehan, “Iraq: Finding a Responsible Exit,” remarks delivered at the Brookings Institution, 2005. The Woolsey plan, endorsed by 24 other democrats including Dennis Kuchinich, calling for withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq. Web.
- Senator Ted Kennedy, “America’s Future in Iraq,” remarks to the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Federal News Service, 2005.
- Conetta, C. (2005) Project on Defense Alternatives Briefing Memo #33. 2007. Web.