by Joseph Schwartz

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: February 26, 2009

Let us consider the question, "Should the U.S. pull out it's troops, regardless of whether Iraq is ready to defend it's people?" Without regard indeed, how can we bear the moral onus, how can we doom a nation to inevitable bloodshed, how can we, as a responsible country, allow that decision to be made? The bones of Darfur still cry for vengeance, the world calls for a response, daily, and it is ignored. Who would wish to inflict the same fate upon Iraq? Why would we want to pull out now, when the war seems won. This is no Vietnam, this is not a story of underinformed teens fighting in unfamiliar territory, over insignificant patches of jungle, against an undefined enemy. This is Iraq, the cradle of civilization , this is Iraq, a country of history, of landmarks, and yes, this is Iraq, of major strategic value. This is Iraq, the country that would stand beside Israel, to be the only other democracy in the powder keg that is the Middle East. This is Iraq, a country whose leaders have put aside their differences in a large way to form a successful coalition government. This is Iraq were the levels of violence have dropped and continue to drop every day. Would you have us throw it all away?

Of course, the issue of a human life is not lost in this question of cosmic proportions, every life counts, however consider the following. If the U.S. pulls out its troops before Iraq can defend it's people, it means even more innocent lives will be lost. Yes, it is painful when sons, daughters, fathers, and friends do not return from the battlefield, or even the desk job, and yes, it may seem as though Iraq is this remorseless sandpit of disaster, however each soldier gave his/her life for a set of ideals and the security of a nation that they swore to defend. War is not pretty and war is not fun, war is war, people die, there are no two ways about it. I cannot endeavor to console the kin of the dead, but know this, if we stick this out and Iraq can govern itself with a reasonable amount of security, the lives of the soldiers will not have been for naught. But if the job is left half done, the dead will have died just as nobly, but what will we have to show for it, nothing, and that is a crime I would not have on my hands.

The last point I wish to make is to those who will argue, "True, the job is not done, but so what, Americans are dying every day, we can never hope for total stability in Iraq, enough is enough". Try this parable on for size. The owner and ringmaster of a

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