October 18, 2007

The Moral Dilemma of Leaving Iraq

It started as Bush's war, but we all own it now—and it's time we took a hard look at what that means. Conversations with more than 50 experts, from General Petraeus' advisers to antiwar activists

1. Editors' Introduction: You Break It, You Buy It

2. Out Now, Ask Questions Later?: Six Challenges for Antiwar Activists

The Next President's Problem

3. Exiting Iraq: Now or Never?

4. The Logistics of Moving the Military Out of Iraq

5. Four Post-Occupation Scenarios

Iraq's Sectarian Breakdown

6. Civil War: Inevitable or Not?

7. The Coming Iraqi Exodus

8. Why the U.S. May Not Leave Iraq

9. Al Qaeda in Iraq: How Dangerous Is It?

Miracle in Ramadi?

10. Damned if We Do: America's Moral Obligations

How the War Has Affected a Typical Iraqi Family

11. A Glossary of Iraq Lingo

12. Charts and Maps

13. Interviews

Interviews:

stylized bullet point Nadje al-Ali, senior lecturer in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter

Tariq al-Hashimi, deputy prime minister of Iraq

Colonel Gary Anderson (USMC, retired), Pentagon consultant

Andrew Bacevich, author, The New American Militarism

stylized bullet point Medea Benjamin, Code Pink

Doug Brooks, president of the International Peace Operations Association

Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security adviser

Leslie Cagan, United for Peace and Justice

General Wesley Clark (retired), former supreme allied commander, Europe

stylized bullet point Juan Cole, professor of Middle East history, University of Michigan

Carl Conetta, Project on Defense Alternatives

Anthony Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Colonel William Darley, editor in chief, Military Review

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.)

stylized bullet point Thomas Donnelly, American Enterprise Institute

James Dunnigan, military strategist

Maj. General Paul Eaton, head of training for Iraqi security forces 2003-2004

Bill Frelick, Human Rights Watch

Peter Galbraith, adviser to the Iraqi Kurdish government

Colonel T.X. Hammes (USMC, retired), counterinsurgency expert

stylized bullet point Colonel Paul Hughes (retired), former director, Strategic Policy Office, Coalition Provisional Authority

Kirk Johnson, former USAID reconstruction coordinator in Iraq

Colin Kahl, Center for a New American Security

stylized bullet point Brian Katulis, senior fellow, Center for American Progress

Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Logistics

Colonel W. Patrick Lang, U.S. Military Intelligence (retired)

Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun

stylized bullet point Edward Luttwak, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Colonel Douglas Macgregor (retired), military analyst

Kevin Martin, Peace Action

George McGovern, coauthor, Out of Iraq

Colonel H.R. McMaster, adviser to General David Petraeus

James Miller, senior vice president and director of studies, Center for a New American Security

stylized bullet point Major Daniel Morgan, School of Advanced Military Studies

Dr. Williamson Murray, professor emeritus of history at Ohio State University

Lt. Colonel John Nagl, collaborator with General David Petraeus on the Army counterinsurgency field manual

Maj. General William Nash (retired), Council on Foreign Relations

stylized bullet point Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution

Lt. General William Pagonis, Gulf War logistics chief

John Pike, GlobalSecurity.org

Paul Pillar, former top CIA official

Barry Posen, M.I.T. Security Studies Program

Zeinab Salbi, founder, Women for Women International

stylized bullet point Representative Ike Skelton (D-Mo.)

Wayne White, adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute

Judith Yaphe, National Defense University

Kristele Younes, Refugees International

General Anthony Zinni (usmc, retired), former centcom commander

Reporting: In Mother Jones' Washington, D.C., bureau: Nick Baumann, Bruce Falconer, Laura Rozen, Daniel Schulman, and Jonathan Stein; in Mother Jones' San Francisco office: Kiera Butler, Leigh Ferrara, Elizabeth Gettelman, Josh Harkinson, Neha Inamdar, Nicole McClelland, Celia Perry, Rafael Valero, and Daniel Widome. Edited by Dave Gilson.

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Comments:

democrats better wake up and win lose or draw get this war over with and do it now. the american people want it. what the heck are they [deleted] footin around about...........get our boys and girls home and quit make big bucks for bush, cheney, halliburton, ray hunt and all the rest of those bums at the expense of out american boys and girls

Posted by:vol d. kesterOctober 19, 2007 12:55:31 PMRespond ^

Great article with comprehensive sections addressing most of the logistical and political challenges we will encounter. However I think one additional part should have been a section addressing the possible penalties to be levied upon those who caused this outrage which has cost over 1,000,000 lives, hundreds of billions of $$$, and ruined our standing in the world.

Posted by:Mike YanasakOctober 19, 2007 5:32:41 PMRespond ^

The Washington Spectator (9/17/07) says logistics alone in Iraq are costing us $300 million a DAY. Each soldier uses $840 of fuel a day! Meanwhile our dollar has shrunken to 57 cents and we are falling apart. We can no longer delay, GET OUT NOW !

Posted by:Eleanor LindwayOctober 19, 2007 5:54:17 PMRespond ^

ALOHA, PULL THE TROOPS OUT NOW. WHAT WE WOULD BE LEAVING IS WHAT THE TOXIC TURD CREATED...A CIVIL WAR. IT IS NOT THE FUNCTION OF THE MITITARY TO RESOLVE CIVIL WARS. WE PULLED OUT OF VIETNAM THEY HAD THEIR CLEANSING AND NOW THEY ARE OUR PARTNERS. THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN WITH IRAQ THEY WILL SETTLE THIER DIFFERENCES AND WE WILL BUY THEIR OIL. RATHER THAN STEAL IT LIKE BUSH/CHENEY HAD PLANNED. EDWIN DOHERTY

Posted by:EDWIN DOHERTYOctober 19, 2007 8:45:37 PMRespond ^

Bull-loney. It is not, never was, and neer will be 'my' war. It is the exclusive prpoerty of Pres. Chicanery, puppet Pres. Duh, and their zombie followers and enablers (HeadRush Pilljar, Faux Noise Channel, Newswacks.com, etc.). As far as continuing or ending the war, let the Republcons have their war until the next election. In the meantime, the more of their voters that get sent over to Iraq and blown to bits, the more it improves the gene pool over here.

Posted by:DungaOctober 22, 2007 1:58:00 PMRespond ^

In the intro to OUT OF IRAQ NOW?HOW, the editors state theyput the 'questions' to 5 dozen people and would post a list of those who refused to respond. Damned if I can find the list. Where is it?

Posted by:Bill ShirleyOctober 23, 2007 4:23:00 AMRespond ^

The argument: “just because you weren't in favor of going in doesn't mean you're not responsible for what happens when we pull out.” – is weak. To use an example to see how weak. Just because you did not want me to kill your mother doesn’t mean you’re not responsible for her murder. I know, you fought with me after I broke into your home and tried to get the weapon from my hand but I was much stronger, knocked you out, and then stabbed your mother to death. Well, you’re responsible too. I did everything I could to see the war did not begin. I wrote letters, argued and voted. And still the war happened. I am not responsible. The responsibility lies, not only with Bush and Cheney, but those who voted for them, those in the media who turned a blind eye to the Administration’s lies. So-called reasonable people like Thomas Friedman, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael O'Hanlon who helped spread the lies and fear. And the political class who even now doesn’t have the courage to impeach Bush and Cheney for their crimes. The argument that I owe the Iraqi people something is false since I did everything I could to prevent the war. The US should pull out as soon as possible. The Iraqi people are smart and brave enough to figure out their own problems. To believe otherwise is a twist on ‘white man’s burden.’ What America needs to do is to make sure something like it never happens again. That means holding those who broke into Iraq using falsehoods responsible. That means impeaching Bush and Cheney. The next is to start a fund to help the Iraqis repair their country with an influx of cash. All those who helped create this mess are morally obliged to contribute.

Posted by:Tom PaineNovember 10, 2007 5:34:12 AMRespond ^

ha...stupid [deleted]ing gay-ass democraps always get it wrong. America is winning in Iraq..and the GOP will win again in 2008. go gnash your teeth, traitors.

Posted by:TEXNovember 10, 2007 1:08:18 PMRespond ^

America is winning what in Iraq?

Posted by:Kerry CanfieldNovember 11, 2007 1:38:56 AMRespond ^

Looks like the surge might be working: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7089168.stm

Posted by:FrankNovember 11, 2007 9:56:26 AMRespond ^

Great article that raises all sorts of questions as to why we shouldn't leave. Perhaps a similar article on why we should leave is needed. How to get a tank out of Iraq? Seriously? Leave it there, hire union workers here to build a new one, and pay them enough to buy health care. Simple. Do you have any other dilemmas that need solved?

Posted by:osisbsNovember 29, 2007 6:03:33 AMRespond ^

Are you kidding me? This is a joke - right? I can't believe I'm reading this from the so called 'antiwar movement'. The US occupation = the problem. US occupation forces OUT NOW! = the solution (including all mercenaries). Every bit of violence, death and destruction is the responsibility of the US which made a decision to illegally invade and occupy Iraq. Any "solution" that includes leaving US forces behind is just an excuse for the US oil companies to steal Iraqi oil and resources. No permanent US military bases. Check out Dr. Dahlia Wasfi - Life in Iraq Under US Occupation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colcD8UVr90 We need a survey from the real antiwar movement, not a bunch of generals and occupation 'security experts'.

Posted by:Paul HubbardNovember 29, 2007 10:34:48 AMRespond ^

The article in the magazine reads: "we'll post the full interviews online, along with a list of those who refused to respond..." Where in this site is that list of the ones who refused to respond?

Posted by:H PalaciosDecember 3, 2007 7:32:13 PMRespond ^

The death and destruction in Iraq is solely the responsibility of the fat, mindless Americans who allowed their democracy to be replaced by fascism. They are consuming incredible volumes of natural resources and they will not tolerate a reduction in that. They "support the troops" (a.k.a. the hired killers) so people in other countries can die for their own disgusting greed. America has the government it wants and deserves.

Posted by:Underground PirateDecember 7, 2007 2:29:53 AMRespond ^

doing a great job getting th word out.

Posted by:richardDecember 9, 2007 10:22:51 AMRespond ^

mothers devotion was to the making of a workers controlled trade union fed. Just before she died she sung her death song. Son, I'm a red cross nurse in no mans land. Well mother jones knows you, and you know her. Mother was a vetern fighter against fascism in the second world war, she was called Rosie the Riveter. No shes gone and she was hopping mad at the U.S. Imperialist aggressors for they are undoing the anti-fascist covenants which means all the liberation side is being forgotten and her reason for living, fighting and dying is being betrayed by a nuclear war against the worlds Holyland. Last time that occurred was in Hitlers Germany. Son don't let them do that to the worlds peoples or the whole thing will go the wrong way again. Troops out and theres no reason to ask how, because if they can get them there they sure enough know how to get them home and begin re-tooling to non-pollution solution of wind, tidal, and solar power. No blood for oil becuase it pollutes the sanity of the world.

Posted by:tomDecember 10, 2007 12:05:03 PMRespond ^

Maybe we should just do what the Brits did. Gordon Brown went to Basra -- placed a phone call to Al Maliki - Then addressed the troops: "This War is Over." You will be home by Spring. We will be out of here in 90 days. I guess what it takes is the WILL --- not the where with all --- or rhetoric. I find no moral dilemma in leaving Iraq. The Iraqis want us gone. What part of that is so hard to understand?

Posted by:ERWDecember 12, 2007 6:31:10 AMRespond ^

send more Irqa War pictures

Posted by:loriDecember 14, 2007 1:30:10 PMRespond ^

hay its not cool keeping our troops in iraq its like u want to lose them. we need to bring them back there dieing to save us

Posted by:ryan cJanuary 11, 2008 6:13:26 AMRespond ^

this is wrong i think they need to come home.... why are the still there i understand why bush wants them there but at the same time all he is doing is letting millions of our U.S soldiers die!

Posted by:NikkiJanuary 15, 2008 5:50:41 AMRespond ^

I totally agree with you it is wrong!!! i have 6 family members in iraw i already lost 3 of them!!!! BRING THEM HOME!!!

Posted by:NikkiJanuary 15, 2008 5:52:20 AMRespond ^

Re: U.S. Out How? (November-December 2007) I could not agree less with your views. We are the Senior Patriots Against the War, a group of seniors, ages sixty to ninety plus, living in Leisure World, a retirement community, who are vehemently and passionately against this war. For almost two years we have demonstrated and petitioned our representatives against this futile, immoral, illegal and unwinnable war. WE NEED TO GET OUT NOW! Whatever the consequences of such an action may be, they cannot be worse than what they will be (and are) by us staying there. Morality demands that we leave. It may also demand that we help this country (or countries) that we have so brutally raped, to get back to some semblance of order, if not nation-hood. But first, WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW! We have lost this war along with too much of our blood, treasure and prestige. No goal that any sane person could conceive of is worth the cost of staying in Iraq another day. Tom Pontac President/Senior Patriots Against the War End the War/Bring the troops back home/Take care of them when they come back home

Posted by:Tom PontacJanuary 16, 2008 12:10:15 PMRespond ^

Tom. There is an anti-war group that meets every Friday evening at 7pm on 2nd street in Long Beach. Doing it for years, I hear. What is your email? or email me guginom@yahoo.com, in Lakewood 90713. Also, possible to join you, and/or talk about Ron Paul at Leisure World..etc..

Posted by:Martin GuginoJanuary 26, 2008 4:08:04 PMRespond ^

To all those who pull the moral dilemma BS out of their a@@!! Then put on a uniform, or any of your male relatives between 18-42 let them sling a M-16A1, I am sick and tired of you White people creating messes that we people of color are forced to clean or pay. You guys dreamt of empire you deal with it!

Posted by:Mr. Stagger LeeFebruary 1, 2008 6:32:11 AMRespond ^

Everyone who dislikes ignorant and stupid people, raise your right hand. Everyone who likes intelligent and insightful people, raise your left hand.
Answer these questions honestly and when you're done, decide which hand applies to you.
1. Did/do you believe there were WMD's?
2. Did/do you believe what you were being told by the media?
3. At the time Bush wanted to go after OBL, did you really think he would ever be captured?
4. Do you feel that if we pull out of Iraq (like we did VietNam), that convoys of little boats full of terrorists are going to hit our shores? (now think about this one before you answer, don't be nieve).
Everything happening is as I predicted. And no I am not a fortune teller. I am a VietNam vet and I learned from that war, as has so many other veterans like me. If you want to know what is next, "ASK A VET". The truth is - history does repeat itself.

Posted by:germanguyMarch 19, 2008 12:39:45 AMRespond ^

I say just leave. That whole cesspool we call the middle East is slowly but surely, car-bombing, suicide bombing, and jihading itself back into the stone age. Hopefully they'll wipe themselves out completely. And who cares what the world thinks of us? The majority of the countries who initially opposed us were in bed with those guys. We're talking nuclear secrets and materials being sold. Russia and France got caught with their pants down for instance.

Posted by:Charlie WApril 14, 2008 11:11:33 AMRespond ^


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