DemFromCT's front post on withdrawing from Iraq has prompted me to finally formalize my thoughts on the matter:
We should never have invaded Iraq in the first place. That's a given only the most die hard Kool-aid drinkers will argue against. But given the fact that we're there now, if you look at only Iraq, the question about a quick withdrawal is still a bit fuzzy. Honest people can still disagree about the best course to take.
But if you look at a broader question, it becomes clear that our continued presence in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States. That broader question is "What is our continued presence in Iraq doing to our standing with the rest of the Middle East?"
Before we invaded Iraq, Osama Bin Laden's view that the West was out to destroy traditional Islamic culture was shared by only a tiny minority of the Islamic population. There was simply not enough openly visible evidence to lend credence to his claims. So the radical Islamic groups scattered throughout the Middle East remained fringe elements. They made themselves heard from time to time, but did not weld any real power.
But now, with the U.S. staying in Iraq for over three years, it is becoming increasingly clear to the average Muslim that maybe Bin Laden was right. They are turning in greater numbers to the radical groups that were once held in the fringes of Islamic society. Whatever differences they might have with the domestic policies of these radical groups, the ever-growing external threat we represent pushes them to the only groups who take seriously their fear of further U.S. invasions.
As the recent elections in five middle eastern nations has shown, the population there is shifting radically away from U.S. interests. The election landslide of Hamas in Palestine illustrates just how far and how fast the average Muslim is adopting a radical stance.
The longer we stay in Iraq, the more militantly against our policies the middle eastern population will become. The only way to diffuse the growing crisis is to withdraw and make amends --much sooner rather than later.