Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Will Increased Bomb Attacks in Iraq Threaten Troop Withdrawal?

As 12,000 US troops prepare to leave Iraq, and a planned full withdrawal of combat troops by August, 2010, it's easy to foresee that terrorist attacks will rise. It looks like a new campaign has started:

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber took aim at a group of Iraqi army officers on their way to a reconciliation conference, killing 33 people on Tuesday and raising concerns about an increase in insurgent activity in Iraq. It was the second attack since Sunday to kill more than two dozen people.

(...)

The bombings suggest a renewed ability by insurgents to mount more effective suicide bombings, after a long period in which such attacks were relatively few and less lethal because of heavy security precautions.

Just wait, as this increases it is likely we're going to see requests from the Iraqi government for the US troops to stay longer. Also, American hawks will start demanding the US stay longer to prevent a civil war and massive casualties. This is where President Obama will truly be tested. It will not be a clean withdrawal. To avoid that will mean staying on, and on and on forever after.

UPDATE: The question is already on the table
"The previous administration negotiated and signed an agreement that ends not just our combat commitment, but our entire military commitment," spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "And I don't think that that would be done if it presented a scenario in which the country would fall into further danger."

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