After nine years of combat and almost 4500 casualties, US President Barack Obama announced today that all American troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by January 1, 2012.
And lo and behold, it's a politician who actually kept one of his promises that he made while running for office!
Anyway. Understandably, the Iraqi people are no doubt very pleased that they will be left alone shortly, without a constant American presence in their nation. And the soldiers in American uniforms are ecstatic to be going home. The question now, is this- Why did it take nine years, approximately 4500 deaths and over a trillion dollars to come to this decision? It's still debatable that the war had an actual, legitimate reason to begin- and I'm for the side that thinks the US should have just kept their metaphorical noses out of Iraq in the first place.
Regardless of his reasons for waiting until now to bring the troops home, Mr. Obama says that full withdrawal of American forces will not risk the nation's political stability. (While I fully encourage the return of the soldiers to their home turf, I can't help but remember that this is the guy who's leading a nation with a painfully-dying economy, a great part of which is his fault.)
Meh. Only time will tell if this is the best course of action. For the sake of the soldiers and the Iraqi people, I really hope it is.
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