Earlier this year senior members of the Department of Defense, Department of State informed the government of Iraq, that after the June/July time frame it would be impossible to stop the withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq, and that if the government of Iraq wanted these forces to stay in place the government of Iraq need to officially inform the United States government of that fact.
To date the Iraq Government silence on the subject has spoken volumes.
The answer has been polite silence, which mean NO we (Iraq) feel that we (Iraq) do not require the presence of your (United States) forces in our (Iraq) country.
Thank you for all that you have done. Words fail us at this time in describing what you have done. Peace be with you, but by all means please depart as you said that you would in the SOFA.
Now it is time for United States to prove to Iraq, and to the world that we honor our agreements.
The United States Armed Forces in Iraq should start drawing down forces. I would recommend that we accelerate the withdrawal such that all of the deployed forces are home for the winter holidays (Thanksgiving through New Year).
Will the withdrawal of United States Forces have dire consequences for Iraq? Yes, most likely, but not immediately.
Will there be a civil war in Iraq? Yes, and as we have already seen it will be along existing religious and ethnic divisions. We just stopped it. We did not solve the situation we just delayed it.
Will there be situations where the United States Forces should go back in to Iraq? Maybe.
Will United States Forces go back into Iraq? Yes, but only under the most dire and desperate world threating situations, and in all likelihood as a member of a coalition. Given our recent history, when the American people do allow a return to Iraq, it maybe almost too late, since several of the previous administrations may have cried wolf once to often.
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