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Iraq: First milestone reached but mission not yet accomplished
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(AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
Iraqis celebrated on Monday and declared Tuesday “National Sovereignty Day,” as Tuesday marks the first milestone in the timeline for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq per agreement between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and George W. Bush late last year. It will be the beginning of the end of America’s military presence in Iraq.
Combat troops will withdraw completely from Iraqi cities to bases outside of towns and turn over security to Iraqi police and soldiers. While more than 130,000 remain in the country, patrols by heavily armed U.S. soldiers will largely disappear from Baghdad, Mosul and Iraq’s other urban centers.
As we reach this pivotal moment, what is the current situation in Iraq?
Violence on the streets of Iraq has shown a disturbing rise in the past few months. The situation has worsened in the past two weeks with large vehicle bombs killing dozens on the streets. The Iraqi national elections are scheduled for late in the year, which raises concerns about a spike in violence then.
Despite fear and uncertainty among many Iraqis, who believe that the U.S. military pullback will open the door for insurgents to increase their attacks, many are elated about the virtual absence of American troops and helicopters across Baghdad and other towns. They are celebrating a moment that the Iraqi government has said represents its return to full sovereignty. Maliki has called the American withdrawal a “great victory.”
America would and should not call this a victory. Thousands of American lives have been lost in Iraq, and billions of American tax dollars have been spent here. And while between now and August 2010 deadline by which the U.S. combat mission in Iraq is slated to end, U.S. troops will retain a significant, just less visible, presence in Baghdad, Mosul and Basra.
When will troop reduction actually occur? When will we be bringing brigades home? “Withdrawing,” or more like retreating, to bases out in the desert is hardly a withdrawal. Since we are not welcomed in the country, we should start to force the Iraqi security forces to shoulder more responsibility by reducing the American 130,000 troops in the country.
The mission will be complete when we bring all of our service men and women home. The Obama administration should redefine the “withdrawal” plan to include a troop reduction plan and a timetable for the reduction.
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