Anti-Climacus

QUOTE: Harry:

"So what is the point to this hypothetical discussion? Well, there is now a growing body of opinion suggesting that if coalition troops pull out of Iraq that the violence will lull and there will be a better chance of peace in the country.

There seems to me little evidence to support such a position unless you call an Islamist state run by those counter-revolutionaries who hack off the heads of their opponents and kill women for the 'crime' of going to work, a form of peace. I am sure there are some who would be capable of arguing such a position, after all there have been no shortage of people telling us that there was 'peace' in Iraq before the invasion, a 'peace' maintained by torture and mass graves.

Of course we cannot be absolutely certain that counter-revolutionary forces would take control of Iraq if the foreign troops pulled out. Just the evidence at the moment shows that even with the most powerful military on the planet at their side, the Iraqi government is struggling to defeat its enemies. That should at least give us a clue as to the likely outcome.

Everyone wants to move towards elections and an eventual withdrawal of foreign troops. The main difference of opinion at the moment stands between those who feel that troops should be pulled out now and those who think they should stay and hopefully assist the transition to democracy. Obviously there is a lot to be argued about in exactly how that assisting is done.

One thing we can be absolutely certain of in regard to withdrawal of troops is that British and American soilders will, of course, stop being targetted. It is entirely understandable that some people, knowing that, call for the end of the occupation now.

But if they choose to make that their position they should do so being fully aware of what such a withdrawal would mean for Iraqis."