Iraq: The Elephant in the Room

Earlier this week, I was unable to attend NPR's Democratic forum in Iowa because I was attending a funeral. When I read the transcript, however, I was shocked that there was almost no real discussion of the single most important issue facing our county: Iraq.

No other single problem is as crippling to this country right now as the war in Iraq. Our ongoing troop presence is preventing a real Iraqi reconciliation. Maintaining 170,000 troops in Iraq not only stretches our military to the breaking point, it keeps us from having the troops available to deal with other emerging crises -- whether it is peace keeping or disaster response.

We are spending upwards of $10 billion dollars a month in Iraq.

It is folly to believe we can continue on this path and conduct the necessary overhauls to children's insurance, health care, and our schools. It will be almost impossible to deal with global warming and lead the world in a new energy revolution while weighed down by the financial and diplomatic costs of the on-going war in Iraq.

We can't let ending the war become the "forgotten issue" in this campaign, and we can't let it continue. The costs are just too high.

Unfortunately, my fellow candidates seem content with leaving the issue behind. Senators Clinton, Obama and Edwards still mention ending the war - but will not unequivocally commit to getting all troops out quickly (and lets be clear - all troops includes non-combat troops, combat strike teams, or any other spin-variation of "troops" falling under our military command in Iraq).

And they will not commit to getting all of the troops out by 2013. 2013 is six more years of war. Six more years of having our hands tied economically and our foreign policy crippled by a war that should have been ended THIS year.

Six more years is too long to wait. Our new website www.2013istoolate.com lays it out clearly: waiting for 2013 is unacceptable - the cost is just too high.

We cannot let cynicism get the best of us - even though the Congressional leadership have not done what we elected them to do and ended this war. We cannot give up. And we cannot give in to misleading media and White House spin that trumpets "the surge is working."

It isn't. The conventional wisdom, that after just a few months of declining casualty rates, victory is around the corner is rosy-eyed nonsense. If you listen to Washington insiders, we've turned that corner again and again - so many times we may just be walking in circles.

Casualties have fallen three months in a row on nine previous occasions during the 5 years we've been in Iraq - nine times. Each time we've been fed the same lines: "Mission Accomplished," "Dead Ender," "Last Throes." On each of those nine occasions, however, casualties have risen back to newer more tragic levels.

I'm not sure who decided what number of American troop deaths is an "acceptable" cost to buy a declaration of "victory," but last month 37 American troops died. After nearly five years of war, the only "acceptable" number of deaths is zero.

I hope Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama have not forgotten what we all know: there is no military solution in Iraq, and as long as our troops are there we will have no political solution either. If they remembered this, they could not in good conscience duck a commitment to get our troops out by 2013.

2013 is too long to wait to do the ONE thing that will work in Iraq: getting all of our troops out quickly, leaving no residual troops behind.

Only one thing will bring long-term stability in Iraq: political progress. The stated purpose of the surge was to give Iraqi politicians the breathing room to take the necessary steps towards real reconciliation. That has not happened - and those on the ground know it. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Barham Salih, last month flatly declared "There will be no reconciliation . . .this is a struggle about power," and Iraq's Vice President (and most important Sunni politician) recently echoed that with "there has been no significant progress in months."

Political progress is impossible as long as our troops are on the ground, making the status-quo possible for Iraqi politicians and leading Iraqi citizens to doubt whether we'll ever leave. There is no military solution to this problem, so our military should not be there.

In fact, the only real progress we've seen in Iraq in the recent months happened in Basra, where the removal of the British garrison has brought about a 90% decrease in violence. No occupying forces equaled less violence, and zero coalition casualties. This is the kind of change we need to see across Iraq to create the landscape for real political progress.

There is a clear answer -- to truly reduce violence and to force Iraqis to find their own political solution, we must begin immediately to withdraw all of our forces - all of them, without any residual troops left behind. There is no military solution in Iraq, and there will be no political solution while our military remains there.

Leaving troops in Iraq until 2013 is not an option - not if we want to end this war, not if we want to move forward and begin addressing problems here at home.

Ignoring this issue won't change those facts.

Comments

[edgery]

As long as Gov. Richardson persists in claiming that he would remove ALL troops from Iraq including apparently even those to guard the US embassy, his disingeniousness precludes a serious discussion. Further, he is fully aware of the differences between Senators Clinton and Obama who have each said she or he would leave combat troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future and Senator Edwards who has clearly and repeatedly indicated he would remove 40-50,000 troops immediately and the remaining combat troops within 10-11 months of taking office. The ONLY troops Senator Edwards would leave in Iraq are the Marines guarding the embassy and humanitarian activities.

I respect Gov. Richardson's desire to distinguish himself from other candidates, but in this case, he is simply wrong. He knows he would have to leave Marines at the embassy --just as there are Marines at every US embassy around the world. He knows Sen. Edwards' position is more closely aligned with his than with Clinton and Obama. He is being disingenious at best in these statements, and hurts himself as a credible candidate as a result.

[booker52]

Too bad we will have to wait til Jan 09 for real answers on this war. I agree with Gov Richardson on this issue.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Right on, and thank you, Gov. Richardson!

[Sundialsvc4]

Yes there is, Governor...

The real issue here is "how we got here," and how we continue to be here, and how we appear to be being lead by a well-entrenched and well-organized gang of criminals ... in all three Branches of our government at the very same time.

This is not how our government is to be lead. What is happening is indeed a "high crime." In fact, I say quite coldly, it is Treason.

[leftLibertarian]

Gov Richardson:

I saw you on Hardball a month or so back and you said you do not support the impeachment of the criminal Cheney.
You said impeachment was 'political.'
What is 'political' about putting Cheney on trial for his many crimes?

You democrats need to wake up and see what is happening.

Your party already lost my vote because you don't have the courage to stand up to these criminals and end the war in Iraq without some BS 'time tables.'

[larryburns94]

When the going gets tough, the democrats...run and hide. If it were up to them Al-Qaeda in Iraq would already be in control of the country, instead of on the run.

Thank you to the military and President Bush for having the courage, strength and determination to not give up in the face of great adversity. We pray for you every day.

[rixhex56]

I wish to address the following comment from Richardson's essay:

---"No other single problem is as crippling to this country right now as the war in Iraq."

I think this statement reveals a lack of vision on Richardson's part that relates to his ability to be president. Almost nobody disagrees that the Iraq war is the biggest mistake, made by the worst president, in this country's history. Those who do disagree are just blind fools.

But the biggest problem that is actually "crippling to this country" is corporate money controlling our government. Until we have some politicians willing to address that issue, we will continue to be "crippled" as a democracy.

[sculptor]

Bill, we should get out of Iraq like this:

Announce that in some arbitrary but sufficient time period we will start drawing down the troop levels. Inform the Iraqi government that if they have achieved a political solution (defined by goals that we set) before we start the draw down then the draw down will be only a partial withdrawal and that given continued political progress we will maintain troops at a lower level (sufficient to maintain some stability) for several more years. This must all be done with clearly stipulated goals and firm dates.

[DLSteinhardt]

Governor, I have not only supported you and contributed to your campaign, I've advised you as well, but your opening to this piece is so egregiously misleading as to be worth a correction:

The NPR debate was limited to three topics: Iran, China, and immigration.

To complain that your fellow candidates failed to discuss Iraq is absolutely unfair.

[Tankan]

Iraq - The Elephants Graveyard!

[Ravenlea]

Governor Richardson,

Thank you for this thoughtful post. I agree that we need to pull our troops out of Iraq. I have trouble calling what we are engaged in a war, though. It's an occupation that never should have happened. There's nothing for us to "win." As Pogo used to say, "we have seen the enemy and they are us."

You have had the courage to speak out on this subject. I wish you would also speak out and support Dennis Kucinich's call for the impeachment of Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush. There is almost no crime that they have NOT committed and that they are being allowed to remain in office smugly disregarding the constitution, and national and international law seems to me to be a travesty and an insult to our national honor.

You, Dennis Kucinich and Joe Biden are my three favorite candidates. I truly hope that voting public will ignore media propaganda and efforts to manipulate us and vote for the best instead of the most monied and slick.

[escobar]

I wish the race was between Richardson, Edwards, and Kucinich. They are far more electable in this racist and bigoted country. Even so, the Republicans are the greater of the two evils and must be voted out.
It amazes me how arrogant Americans talk.
We can't just allow...etc..
The entire problem comes this idea of running things in other countries
Our answers alway involve military solutions.
Certainly, any power vacuum would be likely filled by unfriendly cahracters at first. They would have their plate full dealing with domestic issues, and need help.
They would reign over a destroyed country with no ability to attack us, no more than Vietnam had.
We have lost the hearts and minds of the people, but they cetainly do not want perpetual war.
The best way is to withdraw, allow them to settle their own affairs, and offer non-military aid. The USA needs to have a regieme change to make this work. The Haliburton/Chaney group has to go.
The plan today is to install another dictator/ fake President, control the oil revenues, and do it all at the point of a gun.
Look at the aniomosity the Southern States hold against the North, after more than 100 years. All in spite of their dominance of the Federal government and economic success.
How do Americans expect Iraqui and Afghanistan people to support a carpetbagger government, mercinary occupation, and the rape of their oil industry?
Richardson is right, but doesn't pander to the Military industrial complex to the extent the front runners do.
It is time Americans stopped thinking of themselves as the world's cop trying to play God, using military answers to every situation, and sending troops to bully others for international corporate profits.

[tiye110870]

A REAL LEADER has written an amazing essay.

BILL RICHARDSON not only has the EXPERIENCE to be POTUS, but I hope that no matter who wins the general election, he'll be the next SECRETARY OF STATE!

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Bush promised the American people that if al-Malaki asked the U.S. to leave Iraq, we would. Al Malaki says the U.S. can leave any time they want.

Will the Shia majority oppress the Sunni minority? Probably. We can't stop people from hating one another.

Congress should force the President to keep his word and bring our troops home.

[massimo1]

Bill, I've said it before to all my friends, and I will say again here. You don't have the glamour, but of all the candidates running today, republicans included, you are the most qualified to be president. Governor (admin), Ambassador (diplomat), member of Congress (legislator), cabinet secretary (manager). No one else comes close. Most are all full of their ambitions and a lot of hot air. And you are on the right side of American political chasm. May the force be with you.