Iraq Withdrawal

This past week, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) called for an immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. His proposal sparked a heated debate on Capitol Hill about the Iraq War; Republicans, like Rep. Duncan Hunter, argued that American credibility was at stake, and many Democrats, like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. John Kerry, disagreed with their Democratic colleague and called for a more gradual withdrawal. What do you think would happen if American forces withdrew immediately from Iraq? Since America captured Saddam Hussein and helped establish a new democratic government, is America's responsibility in Iraq over (as Murtha argues)? Would the situation in Iraq deteriorate into civil war (as Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, has argued)? What is America's obligation to Iraq at this point? In your post, draw from our readings in class over the last couple of weeks. Also, here are links to the complete transcripts of Murtha's speech and the Republican response.

Transcript of Rep. Murtha's call for withdrawal

Republican response