Summary:
If we assume that Iraq cannot be stable anytime soon, are we still responsible for staying? Our government created this situation, therefore I believe that we should feel morally obligated to stay.
Let's assume for a moment that we cannot provide stability in Iraq (everyday it is harder and harder for me to deny this). Given this assumption, there are two possible choices. One is that since we cannot succeed, we should withdraw (a very popular sentiment). The other school of thought follows from Colin Powell's comment to President Bush before the invasion - "You break, you own it." Since it is very clear that we have broken it, what then is our moral responsibility? (Most people would dismiss this whole debate right now, since moral responsibility is rarely a factor when discussing international relations and foreign policy - but that is not the nature of this blog.)
The fact is that we decided as a nation to create regime change in Iraq. Therefore, I believe that we as a nation are responsible for the outcome. Just because Bush lead the charge, doesn't absolve the country of our collective burden. The war was tremendously popular at the time, and don't forget that these people voted for it. We can't use the excuse that the President lied to us, because there were enough people voicing doubt and not supporting the President that a well-informed person would know enough to not support the war.
I believe that in a democratic system, we all bear responsibility for the decisions and actions of the government and therefore collectively should have to redress any mistakes. The United States government (with limited support including Great Britain) created the unstable situation that now exists in Iraq. And despite increased troop levels, we are still unable to provide any security (this article shows that we are still facing the same problems we have had from the beginning - since we cannot control the Sunni insurgents, Shiite groups get tired of the bombings and decide to retaliate). Since we have caused this problem, aren't we in some way responsible for sticking it out?
I know that many in the Democratic party don't see it that way. I get the feeling that they are content to blame it on Bush - as if knowing that he caused the endless carnage makes it acceptable for us to bring our troops home. This is the easy and popular answer, I just don't think it is the moral answer.
4 comments:
The only real military solution that could do better to stabilize Iraq would require a HUGE amount of troops. This would require a draft. But a draft would rally the country against the war, and force an end to it. We will not stabilize Iraq with the current strategy. Pulling out is the only moral option. Otherwise we are sending many of the troops that we do send to their deaths for nothing.
I think our moral obligation extends to the Iraqis as well. We have ruined their country - our invasion created a civil war. And this war will get much worse if we leave. It is because of this that I feel we have some responsibility to stay. I don't know if our obligation to Iraqis outweighs the risk of losing more American troops, but it needs to at least be considered.
I have no problem with that, except I am not sure that our presence is really helping the Iraqis. And I tend to believe that if the Iraqis voted today on whether on not they wanted the U.S. involved, they would vote NO. So, if they don't want us there, and we don't want to be there, then why are we staying?
I think the Iraqis do want us there. I read a really good article about Sadr and how what he says is very different from what he truly wants (let me know if you want the full text to the article). He says he wants us to leave, but in reality, he doesn't want us out for at least another year or two because of military strength we are providing in dealing with the violent Sunni insurgency.
My belief is that we are definitely helping - and more importantly, the violence would escalate once we left. Granted, the same argument was made in Vietnam, and it turned out that isn't what happened. But in this case I truly think it will. My basic belief is that we probably can't win anytime soon, but since our presence is helping, we can't leave either.
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