Now Is the Time to Hasten Our Withdrawal

by: Bill Orr

Sun Jul 04, 2010 at 11:13:01 AM EDT

Our War of Independence which we are proud to celebrate today was hard fought and successfully won. Most, not all, of our other many military engagements have been ill-advised, cost too many lives, wasted money, and proven to be non- productive, and some have ended in embarrassment. Once begun presidents and legislators have a hard time stopping wars, as some form, and often a changing form, of "Victory" is foremost in their minds. Such is our sad history in Afghanistan and Iraq, where no pre-established exit plan was created and the goal posts to justify continuation keep changing.

Five months after elections, Iraq has still not formed a government, adding another impediment to our withdrawal. Mutterings within the military imply the possible need for extending our stay. In reality shortly after we reduce troops to a "holding" number, whenever that occurs, Iraqis will do as they wish, not as our leaders proclaim. So now is the time to to hasten our withdrawal.  

In Afghanistan what started as a counter-terrorism action (kill al-Qaeda and its leaders) has morphed into a counter-insurgency activity (strengthen the government and people) which requires a timeframe of another ten years not the one year which the President advocated. Indeed, interpretation of the July 2011 deadline seems constantly in flux. Most of al-Qaeda has left to greener pastures, so much of our effort is in fighting different anti-government elements, which upon our departure, whenever that is, will do as they wish anyway. While a limited counter-terrorism action in the border area has some merit for us, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, our government's notion of creating a stable government and nation in such a short time frame is a pipe dream. So now is the time to hasten our withdrawal.

So today while we enjoy this weekend and celebrate the independence one war brought us, let's have no illusions: now is the time to hasten our withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.