After almost nine years with the second longest war in U.S. History (Moro War in The Philippines: 1902-1913) we leave a precarious situation in Iraq.
Doyle McManus writing for the Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2011, “An Elusive Victory In Iraq,” said it best: “With the final headlong withdrawal this month of U.S. troops from Iraq, President Obama fulfilled a campaign promise to end the war. But was the nearly nine-year mission a success?
“Iraq is still struggling even to ensure its own security. Its air force has no jet fighters, and U.S. officials say it would be unable to detect incoming aircraft in time to stop them. The Iraqi army is improving, but its ability to mount complex operations remains weak. The Iraqis still have a long way to go on intelligence, training and logistics.
“On the political side of things, the democratic system the U.S. fought to establish is becoming increasingly authoritarian and remains divided along tribal and sectarian lines. Its ruling coalition includes parties allied with Iran. Its minority Sunni Muslims and Kurds are worried about their futures.”
News reports are starting to filter out of Iraq that indicates that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has already started to round up his opposition and throw them in jail. Additionally he has made trips to Tehran, Iran, to “discuss” items of mutual interest with the Iranians.
At an estimated cost of $1 trillion, and nearly 4,500 Americans dead, the Iraq war may stand as proof of a long know axiom: Victory is elusive, and a nation rarely exits a war with the same objectives it had on the way in.
The question is not did the U.S. accomplish anything in Iraq. The question is will Iraq survive as we know it
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