After eight years, over 4,400 American military dead and another 32,000+ wounded, and 1.3 trillion dollars spent between the Iraq and Afghan wars, President Barack Obama declared in Washington last Friday that he is pulling out the U.S. troops from Iraq, stating, “Our troops will definitely be home for the holidays.”
By the end of 2011 all 40,000 troops currently deployed will arrive back in the United States, with some 160 military personnel remaining as part of the U.S. Embassy’s security force in Baghdad, where bombings and violence are still rampant.American military officials had originally wanted that number in the thousands in order to manage any future violence and many were unhappy with Obama’s decision.
“It’s so tragic… Our military forces stay to maintain influence … influence in preserving democracy and the gains the Iraqis have made,” said former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Jack Keane. However, there will be a further 4,000-5,000 private State Department security contractors remaining along with continued C.I.A. presence.
The decision comes after failed negotiations between the United States and Iraqi government over conditions of legal immunity for a proposed residual force of military trainers.With the possibility that American militants could be prosecuted in Iraqi courts, the decision was made to bring the troops home.
The withdrawal may also be due to preparations for future conflict with Iran.
Neither of these issues were discussed in detail at the press conference.Instead Obama focused on beginning America’s relationship with Iraq as “a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”
The announcement follows a series of political victories for Obama including the death of Osama bin Laden and Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi. This is also a time of great political scrutiny for Obama whose presidency will be challenged in the upcoming elections.Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, said, “President Obama’s astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women.”
Associate Professor and Chair of Trent University’s Department of Politics, Dr. Gavin Fridell, told Arthur exclusively, “One can only hope that the decision to finally withdraw from Iraq will be part of a broader movement in Canada and the United States around recognizing the complexity of the Middle East and the rest of world, and the need to engage globally in difficult but constructive dialogue, as opposed to just dropping bombs.
As Stephen Harper ramps up Canadian military spending, the prospects of this do not look good. But it would be a shame for the world to have learned nothing from the tens of thousands of innocent dead in Iraq.”
On the outcome of the withdrawal, Fridell continued, “In the end, Saddam Hussein is gone, a ruthless dictator, but he has been replaced by a pro-Iranian Shiite government in Iraq with a dubious outlook regarding women’s rights and under highly unstable and conflict-ridden conditions.”
Obama did not claim victory in his announcement, rather, his statement was one of pride, “The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing the American people stand united in our support for our troops.”
Obama has also promised to end the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in late 2014 where 95,000 American troops remain.
