The U.S. Cannot Withdrawal From Iraq At This Time

Representative John Murtha, a 37 year military veteran and highly decorated soldier deserves much respect. But any plan to withdrawal before the situation is stabilized in Iraq is completely unacceptable.

Mr. Bush may have gotten the U.S. into a deeply troublesome quagmire in Iraq. But this created so much instability in this nation that the U.S. cannot withdrawal without stabilizing some critical situations in Iraq.

The government in Iraq is flimsy and riddled with corruption. Democratic institutions and the legal system must be greatly improved in Iraq before any American exit if the country is to stand on it's own.

Militias such as the Badr Brigade or the Wolf Brigade would likely attempt to overthrow the government in Iraq if the U.S. should leave too early. This could create a state of civil war between Shiite groups and Sunni radicals who support the insurgents. Cruel ethnic warfare between Shiite and Sunni ethnic groups could create "ethnic cleansing" problems that could rival Bosnia and Kosovo for sheer brutality. A new prisoner abuse scandal just this week involved a militia run jail that tortured suspects with drills and acid.

The military of Iraq is very weak, undermanned, undertrained, unequipped and underfunded. Only one army battalion of 750 soldiers is considered to be "combat ready" to stand on their own without American military support. For 60,000 other Iraqi soldiers of various training levels only 10 old Soviet T55 tanks and 4 old Soviet armored personnel carriers exist. Globalsecurity.org estimates that this military needs at least 1200 tanks, 50 attack helicopters, and several thousand assorted artillery pieces, armored personnel carriers, trucks and other heavy equipment. So far the U.S. has provide not a single heavy equipment item.

Iran could invade Iraq and either annex it or turn it into a satellite state. With their new satellite program and nuclear enrichment of fuel, Iran could soon become a nuclear threat to both the U.S. and Israel. And Iran could seek to shut off the American supply of oil from the Strait Of Hormuz. A power vaccum in Iraq could invite such a situation.

There are no end to serious problems why the U.S. cannot leave Iraq until the situation is stabilized. Any early exit will only invite serious problems that will destabilize the entire MidEast, create more world terrorism or even at worst invite a serious war with Iran that could even involve nuclear weapons if they continue to develop this threat and invade Iraq, or cut off the American oil supply.