President Barack Obama announced Friday, Oct. 21, that virtually all the troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year, fulfilling one of the tenets of his campaign for office and ending an almost nine-year war.
“I feel that the act of leaving Iraq was a smart choice, but I know from what I have read that a lot of soldiers feel like they haven’t won this war,” said freshman Joe Chavez, who is going into the Marines. “Leaving like this makes them feel, ‘Why did my best friend die, and what for?’ since they didn’t accomplish what they wanted to do.”
There are approximately 41,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Iraq, according to an article in The Huffington Post. Four to 5,000 security contractors will remain at their respective posts in the country.
“Counterinsurgency efforts typically take about six to 10 years before they fully resolve — that’s even when they are successful … so the timing of it [the troop withdrawal] is not unusual,” said Dr. Kevin Klein, associate professor of history and chairman of the Department of History and Social Science. “But of course any operation like this is very much a gamble, because you are assuming the government is now stable enough that you don’t want to forfeit everything that you have gained or the sacrifices you have made as far as the credibility of the nation.”
The war in Iraq, which began in March of 2003, and continuing occupation of the country has been controversial.
“It’s clear that the American image has been negatively affected due to involvement in the Middle East,” senior Mallory Sharp said. “It’s also incredibly striking how much money the U.S. puts toward military expenditures. I think that real healing for the American economy can begin now that the troops are leaving Iraq.”
But complete, sudden removal of troops is somewhat historically unique according to Klein. There is no event in American history comparable to this type of withdrawal, making it especially difficult to predict the outcome.
“Our history has been very gradual in removal of troops,” Klein said. “This is different in that you are having complete withdrawal. A complete withdrawal is unusual.”
The ending of the war is something that Obama campaigned on.
“A lot of people think that presidents are going to have a radically different foreign policy even if they campaigned on it, but history shows that most presidents tend to carry out the foreign policy of their predecessor even if it’s a different philosophy because they have staked American credibility on it,” Klein said. “It’s kind of like a company with a new CEO having to honor old contracts.”
Despite the troop recall, Chavez said he still plans to join the Marines.
“The end of the Iraq war will not affect my future in any way shape or form,” Chavez said. “There will always be battles to be fought somewhere in the world, and if I’m called to go then I will proudly pack my things and do what I have to do.”
