FAST, NOT SLOW, U.S. WITHDRAWAL MAY SAVE IRAQ, ELAND ARGUES
Under pressure from congressional Democrats and Republicans alike, the Bush administration is reportedly preparing a timetable for the Iraqi government to disarm militias, reduce sectarian violence, and increase stability and security in the country. Failure to meet the specified milestones would prompt the U.S. to begin a slow withdrawal -- a strategy reminiscent of another famous military quagmire, according to Ivan Eland, director of the Independent Institute's Center on Peace & Liberty.
"A slow withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Iraq, like "Vietnamization" during the later stages of the Vietnam War, will only delay the inevitable -- policy failure -- while getting many more U.S. service men and women killed in the meantime," Eland writes in his latest op-ed.
"Instead, the U.S. should withdraw its forces rapidly to motivate the Shi'a and the Kurds running the government to share Iraqi's oil wealth with the Sunnis, thus buying their agreement to peacefully accept the already partitioned Iraq. Militias would not be disarmed by the central government, but would police their own designated areas. In fact, the central government would remain only as a confederate shell or be dissolved entirely. Although not perfect, this scenario is Iraq's last hope to avoid an escalating civil war and give Iraqis the hope of some peace and prosperity."
"U.S. Arrogance in Iraq," by Ivan Eland (10/23/06)
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1840
"La arrogancia estadounidense en Irak"
http://www.elindependent.org/articulos/article.asp?id=1840
"The Way Out of Iraq: Decentralizing the Iraqi Government," by Ivan Eland
http://www.independent.org/store/policy_reports/detail.asp?id=16
Center on Peace & Liberty (Ivan Eland, director)
http://www.independent.org/research/copal/