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Immediately Begin Redeploying U.S. Troops from Iraq
Center for American Progress—Idea of the Day at 4/22/2008 10:40AM
Immediately Begin Redeploying U.S. Troops from Iraq
The U.S. should immediately begin redeploying its troops from Iraq and declare it does not intend to maintain military bases permanently in Iraq. A swift strategic redeployment from Iraq, coordinated with Iraq's government, gives the U.S. the best chance to revitalize its ground forces now stretched too thin to address growing threats on other fronts in the fight against terrorist groups...
I would just add that we shouldn't try and accomplish this all in 60 days because that's a bonkers idea. But troop redeployment--coupled with Joe Biden's plan for a FEDERAL Iraq-- is the sensible way forward. No matter how badly we want to, and should get out of Iraq, we owe it to the Iraqis to do it responsibly.
The second part of this idea--committing to an Iraq without a U.S.permanent military presence, i.e. no bases--is equally important. The effect of a perceived occupying power on a populace is incredibly powerful-- witness the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, Hamas in the Palestinian territories and the Wahabbi response (led by Bin Laden) to our bases in Saudi Arabia in the 1990's. When a people believe that they are being oppressed by a foreign military power they react violently, and a sovereign Iraq--real and perceived--is paramount to establishing a functional government there.
Several high-level officials within the Bush administration have said that they do not intend to create permanent bases in Iraq, but the President's famously liberal (if that word applies to the Administration) use of signing statements has indicated that the option is not off the table.
Some representatives in Congress seem distrustful of the White House's intentions, so I hope we will at least get some oversight on this matter. I'm personally in agreement with the poster: permanent bases=bad idea.
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