Posted by
Ericka Andersen on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 2:15:52 PM
Hey don't take it from the US or me if you don't want, but do listen to the currently elected leadership of Iraq, see below for a word from the Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashimi:
"Despite all the hardships, however, we Iraqis were able to raise the rudimentary pillars of our nascent democracy by writing a constitution, electing a parliament based on that constitution and granting a vote of confidence to a government through that elected parliament. It is not fair to look at Iraq as a collection of failures without identifying its successes. The birth of a new nation is not easy, but just as your nation has become a beacon for democracy, we hope that Iraq will one day do the same.
All is not lost! Eliminating regional influence is the only way to bring Iraqis back to their senses. Americans understandably find it difficult to support any strategy that prolongs the presence of your troops in Iraq. We do not want to stand in the way of your forces going home. But that decision should not be made under the pressure of car bombs and kidnappings. A precipitous withdrawal of forces would create a security vacuum in Iraq that our forces cannot yet handle -- and would therefore be filled by extremists. This does not serve the interests of Iraq or the United States."
Click the link belwo for the full piece, posted on Real Clear Politics:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901331.html