Share

--

--

America must not unilaterally pull out of Iraq for at least three reasons.

First, we have a moral obligation to bring basic security to Iraq. For very good reasons, we deposed Saddam Hussein. But after Washington shunned the United Nations, disbanded Iraq's security forces and disassembled its political structures, it assumed an obligation to independently construct a safer and more secure Iraq. This is the price we pay for past political choices.

Second, without American security forces, the Middle East will careen into chaos. In Iraq, ethnic and sectarian challenges abound. Until Iraq's security forces are re-established and a political structure is put into place, an American military presence is required. Without it, radicals will prevail, and Iraq's neighbors will intervene. We can't afford anarchy in the heart of the Middle East.

Third, Osama bin Laden benefits from the belief that America is weak. Al-Qaeda's leaders repeatedly remind their followers that the United States withdrew from Lebanon in 1983 after 241 servicemen and women were killed and, later, pulled out from Somalia after 18 were killed there. The lesson learned was: Kill enough Americans, and they go home. That helped inspire the Sept. 11 attacks.

For moral, regional and global reasons. unilaterally withdrawing from Iraq under fire is unwise. Harry Truman's secretary of state, Dean Acheson, once said, " 'Bring the boys home' and 'Don't be a Santa Claus' are not among our more gifted or thoughtful contributions to the creation of a free and tranquil world." I wholeheartedly agree.

Rachel Bronson is director of Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Her e-mail address is rbronson@cfr.org.