We need to gradually, responsibly withdraw our troops from Iraq as soon as possible so that we will be able to effectively fight the terrorist networks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other parts of the world.
Our military and civilian officials should drive the withdrawal. The perception that U. S. troops will be in Iraq indefinitely discourages Iraqi ownership of the political process and fuels terrorist hatred. We should have our troops out by the end of 2009.
While violence is down in Iraq, for many reasons, the national reconciliation promised by Iraqi politicians has not occurred. We are stuck in a peacekeeping role as we continue to drain our treasury and degrade our military strength.
We need to bring other countries into the effort to preserve the progress that has been made and pressure the Iraqis to resolve their political issues. For the most part, our allies and friends have abandoned us because of their dislike for the current administration’s foreign policies. We need to reestablish a good working relationship with our allies and include Iraq’s neighbors, who want to avoid the spillover chaos of all-out civil war.
