Will The U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq Threaten Saudi Arabia And Israel?

[Purveyor]

Punctuality is a requirement that annoys every soldier. Diplomats and politicians generally know how to avoid being on time.

But with U.S. President Barack Obama falling in public opinion polls, with the war in Afghanistan changing directions every 3-4 months and no end in sight, and with congressional elections approaching in November, Obama said to his supporters "I'm sticking to the schedule".

The plan to reduce the number of combat troops in Iraq to 50,000 by the end of August, reaffirmed by Obama on Monday, is not a full retreat, but it is worrying, mostly due to the fact that in Iraq there is still no government five months after elections were held.

Iraqi security forces have certainly improved, the number of daily attacks is falling and the war claims "only" 50 people per week compared to hundreds only a few years ago. Yet in July, there was a surge of deaths, with more than 500 people killed.

But the number of attacks is just one measure of the situation that the U.S. is leaving behind.

With the absence of an agreed-upon government and with political rivals threatening that the situation could deteriorate into renewed civil war, the political vacuum gives Iran space to interfere in Iraq's affairs. Iran wants there to be a prime minister in Iraq who will be an Iranian ally and follow Iranian orders. Iran prefers incumbent Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki over Iyad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite who is friendly with the U.S. and in close contact with the CIA.

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http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/will-the-u-s-withdrawal-from-iraq-threaten-saudi-arabia-and-israel-1.305718

[zipplewrath]

1. Pretty much a given

In the long run, it is pretty much a given that what ever government forms in Iraq, ultimately it will seek closer ties with Iran, be worrysome to Saudia Arabia, and be cool to Israel. Syria isn't gonna be to thrilled with them either. And as Iran makes greater and greater claims about their nuclear program, Iraq will seek to restart theirs in order to be on par with their neighbors, and with Israel. And for this we spent all this time and money, and killed all those people.

[liberal N proud]

2. It's time they all grow up and get along

We can't baby sit this morons for eternity.