The U.S. military presence in Iraq is counterproductive. If we stay the course, it will damage America's security and lead to a longer war, more troop losses and civilian casualties, hundreds of billions of tax dollars wasted and, inevitably, a draft.

The U.S. invasion was based on lies: Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 or with al-Qaeda's role in it. Iraq didn't have the intention or capability of attacking America. It did not try to get uranium from Niger. It had no weapons of mass destruction. It was wrong to go in. It is wrong to stay in.

This is the time for a peace plan for Iraq and an exit strategy for the U.S. The world community will not make a commitment absent a change of direction in U.S. policy.

These needed steps can bring our troops home, reconnect the U.S. with the world, re-establish our moral authority and lead Iraq toward stability and self-governance:

Transfer control of Iraqi oil assets to the United Nations until Iraq is self-governing.

Hand contracts to the U.N. until Iraq achieves self-governance, so there will be no more Halliburton-type sweetheart deals or war profiteering, and Iraqis can get jobs.

Obey the Geneva and Hague conventions, stop privatizing Iraq's economy, and return the Iraqi people's national wealth.

Rebuild what the U.S. military destroyed, and compensate families of innocent civilians who lost their lives in the war.

Help fund a U.N. peacekeeping mission until Iraq is self-governing. When U.N. peacekeepers rotate in, U.S. troops will rotate out.

These steps can clear the way for the U.N. to help a new Iraqi government assume control of all the oil and other assets of Iraq, agree to temporary U.N. peacekeeping, schedule free elections and adopt a constitution to move toward self-governance.

This plan can achieve what's most important: bringing our troops home in 90 days, restoring America's credibility — and peace.

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio is a Democratic candidate for president.

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