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July 29, 2007
Everyone But Dems Agrees: Premature Withdrawal Would Be Disaster
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a premature withdrawal of US forces from Iraq would result in a catastrophe. According to a National Intelligence Estimate report:
If coalition forces were withdrawn rapidly … we judge that this almost certainly would lead to a significant increase in the scale and scope of sectarian conflict in Iraq, intensify Sunni resistance of the Iraqi government and have adverse consequences for national reconciliation.
The report added that a John Murtha–style "redeployment" would lead to military intervention by neighboring countries (i.e., our arch enemy Iran), "massive civilian casualties," and al-Qaeda's use of parts of the country "to plan increased attacks in and outside of Iraq."
The Iraq Study Group was risibly naive in many ways, but even it realized we can't just leave:
We believe it would be wrong for the United States to abandon the country through a precipitate withdrawal of troops and support. A premature American departure from Iraq would almost certainly produce greater sectarian violence and further deterioration of conditions.
Unsurprisingly, the commander of US forces in Iraq doesn't see surrender as a viable option. Warns General David Petraeus:
If we pull out, there will be greatly increased sectarian violence, humanitarian concerns. You don't know what could happen in terms of dangerous conflicts, what could happen along the Kurdish-Shi'ite-Sunni fault lines, or how [Iraq's] neighbors will react.
Local Arab leaders agree. Warns Jordan's King Abdullah II:
Withdrawal from Iraq without … preparing the necessary conditions that would ensure a strong central government able to run the affairs of the state … may only worsen the problem and contribute to increasing violence and conflict among Iraqis.
Even Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the hardly helpful United Nations, is showing some sense:
A great caution should be taken for the sake of the Iraqi people. Any abrupt withdrawal or decision may lead to a further deterioration.
In contrast, we have the irresponsible clowns vying for the Democrat POTUS nomination. Bill Richardson, for example, is shouting that he wants American troops "home by the end of this year, in six months, with no residual forces" — consequences be damned.
Given how obsessed liberals have been with shoehorning Iraq into their beloved Vietnam template, they can't be unaware of what will happen if they are succeed in bringing about our defeat. Hundreds of thousands of boat people died trying to escape the horrors of communist Vietnam. The regime executed an estimated 65,000; another 165,000 died in concentration camps. In neighboring Cambodia, the chaos caused by the power vacuum after our withdrawal brought the Khmer Rouge to power — 1.7 million Cambodians died.
But at least in Southeast Asia, our withdrawal didn't result in putting Iran in a position to control the world's oil supply, or potentially providing al-Qaeda with its own oil-rich terror state from which to launch attacks on our homeland.
Posted by Van Helsing at July 29, 2007 10:11 AM
Comments
Anybody remember 1975, when the DemCong got their way? This old Retired Petty Officer does. To Harry, Nancy and company. Pack it. Actually for Harry, it's time for you to go fishing. you are of no use to anyone anymore.
Chuck Schumer: The most educated idiot in this country outside of mother sheehan.
Posted by: Glenn M. Cassel,AMH1(AW), USN, RET at July 29, 2007 10:36 AM
I don't think the Democratic Party has it in them to put the country ahead of their Party. Ah hell, they think the Democratic Party is the country. They ought to have bumper-stickers: My Party Right or Wrong!
Posted by: Kevin at July 29, 2007 1:10 PM
Michelle Malkin's "Vent" has a killer interview video with Rep. Steve King (R-Ia.) upon his return from his 5th trip to Iraq. If only all in the Bush Administration had the guts and resolve to call the "Liberals" out like this guy does...
Posted by: Toa at July 29, 2007 4:04 PM
The dhimmi's know a pullout will be a disaster but they are too invested in aiding the terrorists to back out now. Most of them would be found without a head within 30 days. Traitors to America are one thing, turn on their Islamic radical friends and it's a death sentence. Besides they have the blood of 3 to 5 million on their hands from Southeast Asia, what's a little more blood.
Posted by: Scrapiron at July 29, 2007 9:54 PM
"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a premature withdrawal of US forces from Iraq would result in a catastrophe."-------------
I am not a rocket scientist & any withdrawal from "Iraq" is long overdue.-------------------------
When President Bush ordered the attack on Saddam's regime, it marked the beginning of the end of a nagging 10 year low level conflict which followed the Gulf War. Every pledge, treaty & covenant Saddam made to stay in power he broke. He defied the oil sanctions. He continued to torture & kill his domestic opponents. He threatened his neighbors. He ordered missile attacks at coalition air assets on a regular basis.--------------------
There was also very good reason to believe Saddam had or was acquiring NBC. Though it proved not to be true, our case for war was in no way dependent upon an intelligence assessment, whatever its accuracy.------------------------------------
Once the coalition had toppled the Ba'athists, it needed to stay long enough to round up the deck of cards, scour the country for WMD & prevent any hope of a Ba'athist return to power. This mission was accomplished by January 01, 2005.---------------
Why is it a catastrophe for us to get out of the way of Muslims killing Muslims? Why is it a catastrophe to acknowledge that Muslims have ruined & killed themselves for 13 centuries; that we did not cause it & cannot end it? Why is it a catastrophe to say Muslims qua Muslims are hostile to the values of the West? Why is it a catastrophe to back a independent Kurdish state which by its mere existence weakens Syria , Iran & Turkey? Why is it a catastrophe to take advantage of the contradictions & fault lines within Islam to weaken & cripple it? Why is it a catastrophe to husband our resources & use them wisely & decline to treat "Iraq" (or Egypt or the PLO) like the Grand Duchy of Fenwick? ---------------------
No, I welcome the "catastrophe". In fact the more catastrophe for Muslims & the house of Islam, the safer the West is.
Posted by: John Quincy Adams at July 29, 2007 11:51 PM
