A Test of Troop Withdrawal

The controversy rages on whether to pull our troops out of Iraq or to stay the course. Planning to stay the course will turn the surge into the splurge with more and more of our tax dollars going to keep our young soldiers in great danger and Iraq in turmoil.

While the argument rages in America, the British have taken a step that will shed some light on what the results of withdrawing the troops would be. They are pulling their troops out of Basra where they claim to have restored order to the point that the Iraqis can manage the area themselves. As the ability of the Iraqis to manage themselves has always been put forward by BushCo as the criterion for American withdrawal, the British retreat can be seen as a test case.

If local authorities are able to stabilize Basra after the Brits are gone, it will bolster the argument that our military involvement could result in a stable Iraq. If the insurgents move in and generate more chaos in the region, American troops will not only be required to move there to restore quiet, but will be faced with the reality that if we pull out arbitrarily the country will descend into militaristic chaos. On the other hand, there is a possibility that withdrawal itself might calm things. It may be that our presence is what keeps them fighting.

If the result is that sectarian separations deepen, both sides of the withdrawal argument will be strengthened. Those who want out now will say that the chaos proves that staying will only commit our limited troops to longer and longer tours of duty that will never actually achieve peace in the country. Those who want to stay the course will argue that the chaos proves the need for our presence as a buffer to keep the country from falling into the hands of the insurgents.

BushCo, of course, will argue for staying the course even to the point of holding our troops hostage to Congressional efforts to defund the war. For a complete discussion of this point, check out this link:
The American Tragedy of Our Troops Held Hostage

Neither side will examine an alternative course such as troop withdrawal in conjunction with funding for reconstruction through the existing Iraqi government at war expenditure levels, but I believe that to be a viable alternative to continued fighting. Each step our troops take to quell insurgency through military action only sinks us deeper into the quagmire.

To get involved with a group that is pushing politicians to examine the options is SODaPOP Occupation. They are organizing an effort to influence the Iowa Caucuses this January. To learn more, Google them and follow the link to www.afterdowningstreet.org. I’ll try and get you more information in the near future.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR