Iraq Study Group: Withdraw Troops From Iraq By 2008
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 –Â 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.
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I write a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Virginia, and I also write for several Web sites. Please leave a comment or send me an email at: rreyes4966@aol.com | More from Robert Paul Reyes
Stumble It!
If we pull out immediately, we hand over a piece of land right next to Israel to the Khomeini. I don’t thinks thats the best idea we ever had. Israel has not always done things in America’s best interest but it is an allie.
Look at the reaction from 9-11 in Tel Aviv versus Riyadh, tears versus cheers. If we back out now it may bury Israel in 10 years. I don’t want that bloodshed on our hands. If you break it you buy it, and if we can’t hold it, chop it up into three regions and help them fight each other to keep them busy.
stands2p said,
“You could have used the time saved to see what Britney’s crotch has been up to.”
Thanks for the tip, check out my new Britney Spears essay posted 12-8
I feel so much safer with the rat party in control, really I do.
The Iraq Study Group report was written by a bunch of old men who spent little or no time even in the theatre of operations.
While we do need to push the Iraqis to get off their butts and take responsibility for their own country I have to say that the report is virtually worthless.
Opinions and ideas conceived in a clean air conditioned room have little worth in the field. The panel members should have spent months in Iraq to compile a worthy report.
Y’know Robert, you could’ve saved yourself a lot of typing and just said that you haven’t read the ISG report but you agree with whatever Murtha’s office has released in response to it.
You could have used the time saved to see what Britney’s crotch has been up to.