To justify the war in Iraq would be a farce, but to leave the country in ruins would be a grave mistake.
I was against the war from the start: Saddam Hussein, as evil of a dictator as he was, posed no real danger to America. He threatened only the ever-unfortunate Iraqis who have since gone from brutal regime to brutal chaos.
Since the fall of the former regime in Iraq, politics in the Middle East have changed. Hussein served as a counterbalance to Iran.
But since Hussein’s removal, Iran has been emboldened to expand its anti-Israeli, anti-American and anti-Western agenda. Iran has continued to develop enriched uranium, to support terrorism in Iraq, and to support terrorist groups in Lebanon such as Hezbollah. This increased activity could soon be responsible for a total regional conflict, especially if the U.S. leaves Iraq.
Exiting Iraq with the country still under attack from various militant groups would open the country up to Iranian control; Iraq would become more of a terrorist breeding ground than it has been since 2003. This expansion of control into Iraq would strengthen the Syrian and Iranian-supported Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has been attempting to bring down the Western-backed government in Lebanon and was responsible for inciting last summer’s war with Israel by kidnapping Israeli soldiers. This could mean terrible things for the already pro-Western governments in the Middle East including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This could prove disastrous for the U.S.
Right now, the U.S. needs every ally it can get in the Middle East. This includes ensuring a pro-American government is established in Iraq and supported in Lebanon.
Lies and mistakes made by the Bush administration put us in this predicament. However, simple evacuation would be just as disastrous to American foreign policy, American image and stability of the world as the preemptive strike policy has been.
It is our responsibility to elect a leader with the ability to foresee consequences and apply that knowledge to our foreign policy.
Haber is a third-year global studies student.