If we were to just pack up and leave there is little doubt that Iraq would become such a maelstrom that today's Iraq would look like a modern functioning state compared to the utter oblivion that would transpire.
There actually is some doubt about that, but I don't know if sacrificing another 3500+ G.I.'s makes sense no matter what the future holds for Iraq.
In the mean time Israel would be put in much further danger,
You know, Israel could take every country over there out tomorrow. I don't know why on earth so many of us think Israel needs our protection. I think we need Israel's protection at this point.
Our absence would not empower Iran nearly as much as our presence has. There was strong pro-U.S. sentiment in Iran before we embarked on this insanity in Iraq. Their current posture towards us is total reaction to what we've done. It's entirely possible Iran would just settle right back down if we got the hell out of their part of the world and stopped trying to blow it up to protect oil & Israel.
I wish oil prices would go through the roof. It might be what it takes for us to plug the electric car back in and get independent of foreign oil once and for all.
