Conflict and Commerce

The U.S. and Iraq are currently negotiating a two-year plan for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Under the agreement, the U.S. will reduce its troop presence by removing 2,500 personnel, while approximately 900 troops will remain stationed in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region

• I believe this will be a huge mistake, especially with the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine, and the high tensions between the U.S. and Iraq’s neighbor, Iran.
• The last time the U.S. withdrew almost all of its troops in 2011, it only took three years for ISIS to grow its presence and take over many key parts of both Syria and Iraq (about one-third of the two countries).
• Before writing this post, I asked a friend of mine and his father, who live in Northern Iraq, what their opinion was on U.S. troops leaving their country. In response, they said, “Remember what happened when the U.S. and NATO withdrew their troops from Afghanistan. As they were all leaving, the Taliban launched a huge offensive and took many important cities, despite their agreement with the U.S. not to launch any more attacks in Afghanistan.”
• The Afghan government had been working with the U.S. and its allies for over 20 years, training to prepare for attacks from groups like the Taliban and ISIS. That’s something to think about when considering Iraq’s future, how the same scenario could happen there as well.
• Though I don’t think it’s wise for all American troops to be removed, I do believe it’s crucial for countries like the U.S. and its stable allies to help developing countries defend their territory and provide them with the necessary resources so they can eventually rely on themselves and their allies only for extreme situations.
• Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments—I’m always interested in hearing different viewpoints!