The ostensible purpose of the preemptive invasion of Iraq was to protect Americans by advancing the goals of the global fight against terrorism. Using this benchmark, the war in Iraq has been a colossal failure.

An assessment by the International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that the occupation has “galvanized” al-Qaeda and become a “potent global recruitment pretext” for the group, whose ranks have swelled to 18,000 militants.¹ Consequently, foreign policy experts argue that the U.S.-led occupation directly contributes to the growing strength of the insurgency.2 For these reasons alone, an end to the occupation would be a powerful step forward for American national security and the future of Iraq.International and American security experts agree that rebuilding Iraqi security forces is key to improving Iraq’s stability. But ongoing American combat operations only make rebuilding a homegrown security force more difficult. The Financial Times described it this way: “This is slow work, but that is not the real problem. It is that those forces already trained cannot stand alongside a U.S. military that daily rains thousands of tons of projectiles and high explosives on their compatriots.” ³

Political autonomy and inclusion are crucial components of a successful end to the U.S. occupation. A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies recently pointed out that “The best possible effective Iraqi military, police and security forces will fail unless the vast majority of the Iraqi people come to feel they serve a legitimate government that is not the instrument of the U.S. or Coalition ‘occupiers.’”⁴

Economic concerns, including a lack of jobs and basic services, further fuel the instability and insurgency that plague Iraq. The U.S. should support and finance a U.N.-administered international fund for Iraqi reconstruction. Also, the U.S. must help restore electricity, water, sewage, education and health care services for ordinary Iraqis. The road out of the Iraq quagmire will be difficult, and traveling it to its conclusion will take several years. However, the outlines of a solution are becoming clear: a strengthened Iraqi security force; a multinational peacekeeping force under the auspices of the U.N.; U.S. and international support to provide Iraqis with electricity, water, health care and jobs; and a fully sovereign, politically inclusive Iraqi government recognized as independent by the Iraqi people.


KEY FACTS

1. A Program on International Policy Attitudes poll conducted in January 2006 found that a majority of Iraqis believed that a US withdrawl would lead to a increase in "day to day security for ordinary Iraqis". This includes a majority of all the major Iraqi groups: 61% of Shiite Iraqis, 83% of Sunnis and 57% of Kurds all believed that security would improve after a withdrawal.

2. Opinion polls taken in Iraq indicated that many Iraqis view electios as one way to accelerate the withdrawal of the occupation.⁵

3.When asked what should be the goal of U.S. policy in Iraq going forward after the elections, 60% of Americans favored working with the new Iraqi government in setting a timeline, either privately or publicly, to withdraw U.S. troops.⁶

Footnotes

1 “Iraq Occupation Made World Less Safe, Pro-War Institute Says Studies,” The Independent(U.K.), May 26, 2004.

2 James Steinberg and Micheal O’Hanlon, “Set a Time to Pull Out,” May 18, 2004. See also “Scowcroft Skeptical Vote Will Stabilize Iraq,” Washington Post, January 7, 2005.

3 “Time to Consider Iraq Withdrawal,” Financial Times, September 10, 2004.

4 “The Critical Role of Iraqi Military, Security, and Police Forces,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 2004.

5 Robin Wright, “President Hails Election as a Success and a Signal,” Washington Post, January 31, 2005. 

6 “Study #6052,” NBC News/Wall Street Journal, February 10-14, 2005.