Let us admit our mistake: It is time to pull out of Iraq

In our judgment, it's time to bring our young men and women home from Iraq.

In the early going, this newspaper supported the war. As goals shifted and events clarified the administration's naive assumptions, we have become more skeptical. The facts are clarifying now. Let's examine them and our nation's goals in Iraq:

• We went into Iraq to take away Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. Nearly everyone, including President George W. Bush, now agrees we made a mistake. The chemical weapons and nuclear program were gone sometime before we started the war.

• We went into Iraq to overthrow Saddam, a terrible despot and mass murderer. He was hanged late last month. Mission accomplished.

• We are in Iraq to fight terrorism. This is a bit confusing.

There are terrorists in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, the Arab emirates, Afghanistan, Indonesia and elsewhere. There may even be a few here at home.

When Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attack, fled the coalition that invaded his sanctuary in Afghanistan, he didn't flee to Iraq. He fled to the lawless mountain regions of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Before the Iraq War, there may have been a few terrorists there, but not many. The violence in Iraq now suggests it may be overrun by terrorists. President Bush said last week Iraq may become a haven for terrorists if we leave.

But is that so? And if it is, will they be a bigger threat than terrorists in other parts of the world?

Our being in Iraq attracts and breeds terrorists. On balance, we doubt the situation could be worse after we leave. And if a bigger terrorism threat pops up somewhere else — or if Iran or North Korea develop nuclear weapons — we will regret that our armed forces are tied up in Iraq.

• Perhaps we are in Iraq to stabilize our oil supply. Many assume this is our "real reason" and condemn the immorality of killing for energy.

We don't think oil drove America to war. Of course, our economy would be harmed by a spike in the price of petroleum. But oil flows in a world market and has such tremendous value that it seems unlikely that after we leave any Iraqi leadership would just leave it in the ground. Iraqi oil will go somewhere and we will get whatever share of the market we can afford. We don't need military intervention to make that happen — at this point.

• President Bush predicts there will be "a bloodbath" if we leave Iraq. So one of our goals now is to quell fighting in the streets. But then again, a tremendous number of people are dying now. This is another area where the facts aren't clear; the estimates of violent deaths range wildly. Some say the war and associated violence has killed only 10,000; one study says 600,000. The U.N. said this week 36,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in 2006. A figure of 50,000 to 100,000 killed since 2002 seems likely.

If we leave, the killing might stop — or at least slow. Or the large Shia majority will move to suppress the Kurdish and Sunni minorities. The fighting will be protracted if these minority groups or outsiders want it to be protracted, but America won't be the cause.

• We went into Iraq to create a democracy in the Middle East. Some see this as a strategic advantage for us; others see it as an act of benevolence; a few think this is a righteous extension of our values. We question whether a democracy can be imposed by American military might.

Yes, thanks to our intervention there has been an election.

When given the chance to vote, Shias voted for Shiite leaders, Sunnis voted for Sunnis and Kurds voted for the Kurdish. Now their ancient struggle is being waged in the halls of government and in the streets as well. The U.S. Army is having a devil of a time creating a united government, an integrated army and effective law enforcement.

What is the evidence our army can create the cultural shift to unite and democratize Iraq?

Iraq, the nation, was created by the British empire in the 19th century. As in Africa, tribal lines were ignored. Iraq has no democratic history, and today no mass of Iraqis longs to adopt our values of individual and religious freedom, the rule of law, and equality for minorities.

Our democracy came into being because we rose up against an oppressive government. Iraqis didn't rise up against Saddam. If there is a rally now to end the violent fray, it is being frustrated by sectarian politics and fears.

In addition, we have to ask, is it the job of our army to create their democracy or protect ours? Do we give others liberty by extending our military might or by living according to the ideals of democracy and legal restraint? Fewer and fewer Americans seem happy with the example we're setting.

Of course, there's our duty to support the troops. But does that mean we have to support the war? If the war is wrong, we think it makes more sense to support our service men and women by pulling them out of harm's way. The patriotic thing is to do what's right.

For all his faults and blind spots, President Bush has showed a modicum of courage in admitting mistakes such as the WMD fiasco. We urge President Bush to take the next step and admit he has overreached in Iraq.

When we leave, the threat of terrorism and massively destructive weapons will still be out there in the world. The challenges in Afghanistan and the violent stand-off between Palestinians and Israelis will remain.

We need to position our forces for the next struggle that will inevitably confront us. It is now clear that the war in Iraq is a misuse of our military assets and a betrayal of America's values.

Lodi News-Sentinel

First published: Saturday, January 20, 2007

Reader Feedback

WY wrote on Jan 31, 2007 4:56 PM:

" Sorry.. My little person Blogged in on my 11:43 post I look kinda special there. lol...? "

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