The Iraq Study Group proposed that America focus on training Iraqi troops, engage Iran and Syria, and seek to withdraw most of its combat forces from Iraq by the first quarter of 2008.
The group’s report outlines 79 recommendations – some of which are deeply troubling. The proposal to engage Syria and Iran is wishful thinking at best and a recipe for disaster at worst.
But for the purposes of this editorial I will concern myself only with the recommendation to withdraw American soldiers from Iraq by 2008.
Most pundits and politicians praised the Iraq Study Group’s recommendation for a gradual U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
But John Murtha, one of the most vocal opponents of the war, offered this blistering criticism of the panel’s recommendations:
“The proposal to pull out by 2008 is no different than the current policy. Staying in Iraq is not an option politically, militarily or fiscally.”
If a building is burning, a fire battalion chief would have to be a stark raving idiot to recommend a phased evacuation of the edifice. “Let’s strive to free the inhabitants of the top floors by noon; then after a two-hour strategy session we can get to the rest of the floors.”
Iraq is a conflagration raging out of control – we must bring our troops home immediately. There is nothing to be gained, and only more American lives to be needlessly lost, by keeping them there until 2008. The price in terms of human life, drain on our economy and battering to our reputation is much too high.
During his confirmation hearings Robert Gates admitted that we are “not winning, but not losing.” He was widely praised for his candor, but I think his statement was wishy washy. If we are not winning, we are losing. Period!
I’m with John Murtha: We need to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq.
