Exactly what is the current US Plan for Iraq? Yes, President Obama is talking about withdrawing most troops over the next 19 months, leaving a residual force of 35-50,000 and finally withdrawing all troops by 2011.
But there is a big difference between withdrawing troops and ending the occupation and the war with Iraq. The lack of conversation about ending the war in a full and complete manner should cause concern among progressives.
There has been concern raised by democrats and pundits about the number of troops President Obama plans to leave in Iraq. There has also been concern raised by some about the fact that the plan does not withdraw troops steadily each month over the next 19 months. The plan instead starts serious withdrawal only after 11 months. How many more Iraqi's will be killed in US air strikes during this "withdrawal period"?
These are indeed real questions and warrant investigation. But they may not be the most important questions in ending the war. This war is not simply an incursion of US troops that is over when these troops leave. It is a illegal and continuing occupation of a nation.
Understanding that ending the war requires ending the US occupation raises questions on which the main stream media and many progressives have been silent.
Will Iraq's assets such as its oil resources be given back fully to Iraqi control?
Will contractors who we have paid to so abused the people of Iraq also leave? Will the funds we continue to pour into Blackwater and for profit militias and other contractor companies cease, will they leave Iraq and will these funds be instead provide to the Iraqi people to rebuild the nation we destroyed?
What about the refugees, their internationally agreed right to return and the US responsibility to aid in that process?
And do we really intend to fully honor the territorial integrity of Iraq as a sovereign nation? Specifically, will we stay out of Iraqi air space and refrain from any sense of entitlement we might feel to use Iraqi lands for US posts and objectives in the Middle East?
This difference between troops leaving and ending the occupation is felt keenly on the ground in Iraq each day. And I am afraid these issues will continue beyond the time when US troops leave Iraq. I believe it is time for us to discuss just what ending the US War in Iraq entails and push President Obama and his state department to fully address ending the occupation and thereby ending the war.
For now, I am afraid that the war continues with little reason for us to assume an end is coming any time soon.