March, 13 2009, 11:30am EDT
Leaving Iraq Responsibly
Political tugs of war among elite Shiite, Kurdish, and Sunni factions will reassert themselves upon the withdrawal of U.S. forces
WASHINGTON
The issue of U.S. withdrawal from Iraq is a topic of great interest that has generated a mosaic of political debates. Factors that weigh heavily in these debates include stability of the region, the process of democratization, Iran's increasing influence, and the control of Iraq's oil, to name a few.
In a new multi-segment interview with The Real News Network, Phyllis Bennis, a senior analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. looks at the issue of troop withdrawal. Bennis says that the U.S. owes the Iraqi people enormously, since it was the U.S. invasion that "ravaged that country".
Bennis argues that no matter when the troops leave, Iraqis will have to determine their own future. Bennis paints a grim picture of Iraq's future, suggesting that internal rivalries will eventually resurface, leading to renewed instability in the country as well as in the region. Moreover, irrespective of their results, according to Bennis, the upcoming referendum in the country will not necessarily legitimize the U.S. presence in Iraq since the invasion was against international law.
Watch the second segment of this interview on The Real News Network:
https://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3398
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