December 28, 2011Iraq's next steps are up to its leaders
For the troops and the American people, there simply is no better gift this holiday season than to see the United States finally withdraw from Iraq.
This has been a long, arduous, costly and some would say unjustified war. Nearly 4,500 Americans have been killed in Iraq, tens of thousands wounded, and the war has also cost the country nearly $1 trillion.
After nine years of battles, of ups and downs for the American military and those who sent them on this mission, the Iraqi government now has to step up and bring stability to its country ...
Iraqi leaders are certainly talking a good game. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says his country not only can achieve stability but keep its independence from its menacing neighbor Iran.
But U.S. officials have expressed legitimate concerns that Iranian influence in Iraq will grow as American troops depart. …
While Iraq and the world are better off without Saddam Hussein around, the fledgling government faces complex issues that won't be solved overnight.
But even with the troops gone, the U.S presence will be substantial, and necessary, in ways.
Surely, U.S. training assistance of Iraqi security forces will continue in some capacity, and the U.S. has a new huge embassy in Baghdad. The crucial next steps are up to the Iraqi leaders and their people, as the U.S continues the transition from deployment to diplomacy.
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