Should the U.S. withdraw from Iraq?

The argument over the Iraq war just got a little nastier today, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Vice President Dick Cheney getting into a war of their own—this one a war of snarls and sound bites. And the stakes could not be much higher: at issue is whether the United States should ...

602324_070424_reid2_05.jpg
602324_070424_reid2_05.jpg

The argument over the Iraq war just got a little nastier today, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Vice President Dick Cheney getting into a war of their own—this one a war of snarls and sound bites. And the stakes could not be much higher: at issue is whether the United States should set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Democrats in Congress say yes; the Bush administration says no. Thousands of lives and billions of dollars hang on how this drama plays out.

The argument over the Iraq war just got a little nastier today, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Vice President Dick Cheney getting into a war of their own—this one a war of snarls and sound bites. And the stakes could not be much higher: at issue is whether the United States should set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Democrats in Congress say yes; the Bush administration says no. Thousands of lives and billions of dollars hang on how this drama plays out.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images News

Enter Peter R. Neumann, who as a director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London can hardly be said to be a partisan gunslinger. Neumann is an expert on terrorism and strategic thinking, so we asked him what he thought would likely happen if the United States announced a timetable for withdrawal. His answer was sobering. I urge you to check it out, whether you favor continued U.S. involvement in Iraq or not, and make up your own minds.

More from Foreign Policy

A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar

The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.
The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.

America Can’t Stop China’s Rise

And it should stop trying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.

The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky

The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.