Why Americans Should not Pull out of Iraq Yet

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Why Americans Should not Pull out of Iraq Yet

            For a long time, America has been the major participator in the Iraqi war, which they started under the rule of Bush. The war has had many consequences to the Americans and the Iraqis as well, considering Iraq is the battlefield. The major impact has been the cost of the war that Americans have born since the war started. The other impact was many deaths of about 2000 to 3,000 soldiers, and about 600,000 Iraqis. This is the major reason that many Americans want the troops pulled out of Iraq. More so, they believe that the troops have less to do there, and they should pull out immediately.

The reasons for America going into war with Iraq, were the refusal of a sanction to United Nations by Iraq, which they believed were being developed by Saddam’s government, and Americans felt threatened. Another reason that justified the war is the condition in which Saddam kept his people, which lacked regard for human life since he executed those who opposed him. The United States aimed to liberate the people from the harsh rule and at the same time, try to stop terrorism that they believed was posed by Saddam. These have been the major reasons the government engaged in the war. They managed to capture Saddam, and liberate the people, but did not find the weapons of mass destruction. These are good reasons for America to pull out of Iraq, but other impacts are worth looking at.

In the context of pulling out due to costs, it is logic that Americans should pullout of Iraq as fast as possible to save the costs that have been involved since there is no major reason for them to be in Iraq. Again, many soldiers have lost their lives, many injured physically and mentally, while many Americans have lost their loved ones. Pulling out will mean that the financial costs as well as psychological ones are stopped, and this would relieve many Americans who have been waiting to reunite with their people, and a relive to the economy that has to provide for the troops and the activities.

In the context of pulling out of Iraq due to lack of a good reason or objective of remaining there, it would be appropriate for the Americans since they have little or nothing to do there. Another point of view that makes it right to pull out of Iraq is to let them have their country to themselves, and learn to govern themselves, and achieve democracy. For Iraq to be able to govern itself independently, they will need to rely on themselves and form their own government and set up their economy back to its feet since having Americans there will mean that they have to rely on foreign security indefinitely.

However, this could only be true under the conditions that Iraq is free of any insurgent who might want to take control of the country when the American troops leave. In addition, the country is divided into many ethnic groups, which might not come to terms with each other; hence, if there is no centralized government to control them, a civil fight could emerge, and ruin what is left of the country. However, the point that democracy is achieved this way, Iraq could engage into a civil war that in the end could bring a solution. Peace among the ethnic groups in Iraq is the ultimate conditions that would make it right for Americans to pull out.

In my own opinion, in the past, before Americans pulled in, Iraq was governed by the Saddam’s dictatorial government, which controlled the whole country, and maintained order, except that he had little regard for human life and mistreated his people. In addition, the war has had serious economic and social setbacks for Iraq and its objective was not met or worse still, they did not find the weapons of mass destruction that they were searching. Therefore, it would be logic that Iraq should be helped to get back where it was or anything attributed to the war should be reversed, except deaths. This is to mean that Americans owe Iraq this since they caused it, although the United States justify the war.

In the context that Iraq has lost an approximated 600,000 people to the war, while Americans have lost about 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers, is no comparison (Reynolds, 2007). Hence pulling out might mean more deaths, since American troops work in Iraq has mostly been to maintain security, and protect the innocent civilians from the fighting insurgents who want to control the country. Pulling out will mean that security in the country will be low, and many civilians might end up dead.

Looking from the context of what the soldiers have been fighting for leaving abruptly without leaving a stable government will mean that what the troops have been fighting for will be lost, not to include the cost borne by the Americans will go to waste. As America prepares to pull out of Iraq, it is important to consider that majority of the Iraq citizens prefer them to stay, since they fear more lives will be lost. This means that they have been dependent on Americans, which means that the country has not been able to stabilize. Majority of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and economic generating firms too, and considering that oil is the major resource, and Americans have had to control it so as price in fuel do not rise too much, it might render other countries at risk of hiked prizes of fuel, which is the major source of energy today.

From the context of establishing a central government that would control all the communities, with a strong defense force that would maintain peace, and secure the borders, since it is possible that other countries around would invade, it would be logic not to pullout immediately. If they are not provided with training, and education, not all those factors needed to make a central government may be possible. For stability to be achieved, which would ensure that order would prevail when the troops leave, their economic activities such as the oil will have to be in the hands of a strong government that would ensure its economic value is achieved fully. For the Americans troops to achieve this, they will need to help Iraq set a strong military force that would be united to defend everybody in the country, and also, the American government should help with reconstruction, and offer security before a stable government can be established. Since a government already exists, establishing the military base and reconstruction would be easier than if none existed, and slowly by slowly, the troops would pullout and eventually, Iraq will be on the course of reconstructing their nation, and American troops will be out. The condition that would make it necessary to achieve the goal of liberating Iraqis would their will and if accorded the help, they need.

Pulling out of Iraq immediately will have far more worse consequences that would mean. This is because peace will not be achieved and the insurgents would further destroy the country. Considering that America is involved in maintaining peace in the world, they will have failed as well as fail their first justification of the war, which was to liberate people from suffering in Iraq. However, as I said, America remaining in Iraq should not be the permanent solution to their problem, but rather, Iraq should be helped to kick start its reconstruction with a firm foundation that would be stable. For this two reasons, the America should lay a strategy that would help the Iraq, and one that would need less involvement of the troops, in order that some of the troops can pull out one after the other, and only a few would be left for sometime.

Using this strategy, Americans would reduce the cost they bear in an eventual way, and at the same time, a smooth transition of security from the United States troops to the Iraqi force that they will help establish. Hence, peace and order would be established and its maintenance will depend on the Iraqis and no blame will pass to Americans. This way, Americans will be sure that their invasion will have yielded a favorable achievement. Pulling out slowly may not be the expectation of many, but it will be beneficial in achieving peace for Iraq, and this would ensure that Americans would not be at risk of being invaded by the insurgent and terror groups that might control Iraq if a central government is not established. According to Schirch (2008), this solution would work if the American government engaged Iraq in talks aimed at bringing a long lasting solution, which should involve all ethnic groups in the country. It is important to note that not pulling out immediately still serves to reduce costs and at the same time, reduce deaths that occur to the soldiers as well as the Iraqis.

 

Works Cited

Reynolds, Garrett. “Why the U.S. Can’t Pull out of Iraq Just Yet.” debatable.wordpress.com. 2007. Web. 5 May 2011.

Schirch, Lisa. “Contrasting narratives of the Iraq War.” commongroundnews.org. 8 April 2008. Web. 5 May 2011.