Lawrence Korb
The Bush administration’s numerous mistakes have left us with few good options. To protect our security interests, the U.S. should announce a timetable for redeploying all American forces from Iraq by the end of 2007 and stating it will not maintain permanent bases in the country. As long as Iraqis feel that American troops will remain indefinitely, they will not be motivated to make the compromises necessary to create a unified Iraq, nor will Iraq’s security forces be motivated to deal with the violence. Moreover, an American exit will diminish support for the insurgents. Disengaging from Iraq will also prevent the American army from breaking. To prevent Iraq from being invaded by a foreign power or becoming a haven for terrorists, the U.S. should leave about 30,000 forces in the region and launch a diplomatic initiative to create a regional cooperative security network aimed at securing Iraq’s borders and taking down extremist networks.
Lawrence Korb is Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He served as Assistant Secretary of Defence in Ronald Reagan’s first Administration (1981-85). To read his recent paper on "Strategic Redeployment: A Progressive Plan for Iraq and the Struggle Against Violent Extremists", click here.
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