Our
View: Iraq troop occupation needs change
Since the war in Iraq started in 2003, there has been strong opposition toward
United States occupation of the Middle East.
Thousands of protestors marched through streets and grieving mothers have gone
so far as to protest outside President George W. Bush’s ranch, pleading
he send our troops home. Democrats in Congress, including Sens.
Ted Kennedy and Joseph Lieberman, requested the president reconsider the U.S.
presence in Iraq and create a plan for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops
from the defeated
nation.
Despite strong support for a withdrawal plan, Bush insists the troops are a necessity
in conquering the terrorists who plagued Iraq.
It has become apparent that Bush’s
insistence on the U.S. occupation of Iraq has been in vain. Gen. George W. Casey,
the top U.S. commander in Iraq, recently stated a reduction in the number of
troops in Iraq is paramount in defeating the insurgency.
According to Casey, the large troop presence in Iraq is creating an even more
hostile situation by fueling the insurgency and allowing Iraqi enforcers to become
lackadaisical in fighting insurgents.
Bush accordingly changed his position on
the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq. No longer are we striving to eradicate terrorism
ourselves. Instead, Bush decided we should educate Iraqi armed forces in combating
and defeating terrorism.
Contrary to the wishes of many of his constituents, Bush chose to stubbornly
and ignorantly leave hundreds of thousands of troops in a volatile situation.
The extended occupation of Iraq has resulted in the loss of life. Insurgents
are fed by their anger over the U.S. occupation and have made Iraq an extremely
dangerous place.
Millions of American and Iraqi families have suffered the loss of loved ones
because of Bush’s blunder.
Allowing U.S. soldiers to remain in Iraq any longer would be a catastrophic error
and would continue to deteriorate Iraq’s safety.
As the U.S. military lingers, Iraqi soldiers become more dependent on them in
fighting insurgents. They become less capable of defending themselves.
When the
United States decides to leave Iraq permanently, Iraqis will be responsible for
their own safety and well-being. It is our duty to leave Iraq a safer place than
when we first invaded.
When the War on Terror began, Bush used the pretense that Iraq was a dangerous
place in order to justify invasion. Bush made claims about weapons of mass destruction
and a cruel dictator who tortures his own people, causing many Americans to support
the overthrow of an immoral regime.
Some even joined the armed forces with the
belief they would be rescuing a nation from the clutches of a torturous totalitarian.
Now, after the country has been defeated and the evil ruler has been ousted from
power, we cannot continue to allow the country to become a hostile place where
people live in fear.
The Iraqi people have a right to peace, and if we continue
as a presence in their lives we will only jeopardize the safety of their nation.
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