Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Re: Iraq and chickens
A Creeder Reader e-mailed me over the weekend to take issue with my calling Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) a "chicken****." Actually, I said Duncan cast a "chicken**** vote" when he voted for the Democrats' "Out of Iraq Now!" bill, but that's a moot point.
I went on to say that if Rep. Duncan and his allies are successful in their effort to immediately withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, the country will become an "anarchic haven for radical Islamists." Max Boot has an even more cogent take on what will happen in the Middle East if U.S. troops are pulled from Iraq any time soon:
"If U.S. troops were to pull out anytime in the foreseeable future, the probable result would not be (as so many advocates of withdrawal claim) that Iraqis would 'get their act together' and take care of their problems themselves. The far more likely consequence would be an all-out civil war. Not only would this be a humanitarian tragedy for which the U.S. would bear indirect responsibility, but it would also be a catastrophe for American interests in the region. If we are seen as the losers in Iraq, al Qaeda would be seen as the winner. The perception of American weakness fed by a pullout would lead to increased terrorism against the U.S. and our allies, just as occurred following our withdrawal from Somalia in 1993 and from Beirut in 1983."
I went on to say that if Rep. Duncan and his allies are successful in their effort to immediately withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, the country will become an "anarchic haven for radical Islamists." Max Boot has an even more cogent take on what will happen in the Middle East if U.S. troops are pulled from Iraq any time soon:
"If U.S. troops were to pull out anytime in the foreseeable future, the probable result would not be (as so many advocates of withdrawal claim) that Iraqis would 'get their act together' and take care of their problems themselves. The far more likely consequence would be an all-out civil war. Not only would this be a humanitarian tragedy for which the U.S. would bear indirect responsibility, but it would also be a catastrophe for American interests in the region. If we are seen as the losers in Iraq, al Qaeda would be seen as the winner. The perception of American weakness fed by a pullout would lead to increased terrorism against the U.S. and our allies, just as occurred following our withdrawal from Somalia in 1993 and from Beirut in 1983."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 
