Pulling Troops from Iraq

Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, wrote a column in yesterday's Washington Post about the pullout of American troops from Iraq (HT: Michelle Malkin).

There has been much talk about a withdrawal of U.S. and coalition troops from Iraq, but no defined timeline has yet been set. There is, however, an unofficial "road map" to foreign troop reductions that will eventually lead to total withdrawal of U.S. troops. This road map is based not just on a series of dates but, more important, on the achievement of set objectives for restoring security in Iraq.

Nobody believes this is going to be an easy task, but there is Iraqi and coalition resolve to start taking the final steps to have a fully responsible Iraqi government accountable to its people for their governance and security. Thus far four of the 18 provinces are ready for the transfer of power -- two in the north (Irbil and Sulaymaniyah) and two in the south (Maysan and Muthanna). Nine more provinces are nearly ready.

He details the objectives for the provinces, and he estimates that Iraq will have full control by the end of 2008, that coalition troops will be under 100,000 by the end of this year, and that most of the coalition troops will be withdrawn by the end of 2007.

Rubaie also describes the psychological issues involved in having our troops in Iraq and gives the benefits that will come to his country when we're able to withdraw. They're considerable. The biggest seems to be this one:

[T]he removal of foreign troops will legitimize Iraq's government in the eyes of its people.

This is a great goal, and it shows that the Iraqis are just as eager for us to leave as we are. But they are realistic enough to know that now is not the time. As long as they need us to help them build stability, we need to stay. The posturing, the polemics, and the pompous attacks on our policies in Iraq by Democrats looking to score political points aren't doing us one bit of good.

In the end, Rubaie and the Iraqi government know what's needed.

Iraq has to grow out of the shadow of the United States and the coalition, take responsibility for its own decisions, learn from its own mistakes, and find Iraqi solutions to Iraqi problems, with the knowledge that our friends and allies are standing by with support and help should we need it.

Let's give them that chance. We need to stay until the job is done.