Product Description

The U.S. occupation of Iraq has now passed the one-year mark. With no end in sight, the Cato Institute convened a special task force of scholars and policy experts to examine U.S. strategic interests in Iraq and to question the Bush administration’s intention to "stay as long as necessary."

In this joint statement, the members of the special task force argue that the military occupation must end. They assert that the presence of troops in Iraq distracts attention from fighting al-Qaeda and emboldens a new class of terrorists to take up arms against the United States. Moreover, the occupation is enormously costly for American taxpayers, exposes our men and women in uniform to unnecessary risks, and undermines attempts to foster political and economic reform in the region.

Unlike other reports that shy away from stipulating an end date for the U.S. occupation, Exiting Iraq advocates a military withdrawal by January 1, 2005. The task force’s findings are essential reading for anyone concerned with clearly defining vital U.S. interests and crafting a foreign policy that best defends those interests.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1989420 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 98 pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent case for withdrawing from Iraq


The authors realistically define vital US security interests as `protecting the lives and well-being of Americans'. So they urge the USA to cut its losses, withdraw from Iraq and respect its sovereignty and independence. "The United States must promptly end its military occupation of Iraq. A military withdrawal will maximize America's ability to refocus its efforts on the fight against Al Qaeda and other anti-American terrorist groups with global reach and, at the same time, minimize the risks to vital US national security interests."

"There is no economic imperative for keeping troops there. The American military presence is not essential, and might even be detrimental, to ensuring access to Persian Gulf oil. ... US policy in the Persian Gulf should not be based on the assumption that the region's energy resources will not make it to market absent the presence of US troops. Oil is the principal source of revenue for the Persian Gulf countries; they could not withhold it from world markets without committing economic suicide."

Bush and Blair told us that the occupation would pay for itself and that post-war Iraq would quickly settle into a stable peace. They now want US and British troops to occupy Iraq indefinitely, regardless of costs and risks.

But "The military occupation of Iraq is counterproductive to winning the war on terrorism, enormously costly, militarily and economically unnecessary, and politically unsustainable. ... it emboldens anti-American terrorists to expand their operations, both against the forces in their neighbourhood and ultimately on American soil. And the presence of an American military garrison in Iraq weakens the forces of democratic reform by undermining an indigenous government's authority and credibility."

"Iraq is many years away from becoming a stable unified democracy, and there is nothing that the United States can do to alter this state of affairs." A democratic Middle East is a `chimera', so "U.S. military withdrawal should not be predicated on the establishment of a democratic government in Iraq." No conditions should be set for withdrawal.

A compelling case for ending the ongoing occupation.
This is the only book I've read of that actually details not only why we should end the military occupation of Iraq, but also how we can get out. The book recommends a complete withdrawal by January 2006, and its recommendations should be taken seriously by our political leaders.

Advocating a military withdrawal by January 31, 2005
Exiting Iraq: Why The U.s. Must End The Military Occupation And Renew The War Against Al Qaeda is the report of a specal task foce under the directorship of Christopher Preble, which was sponsored by the Cato Institute. Observing that the American occupation of Iraq has passed the one-year mark with no end in sight, Exiting Iraq questions the Bush Administration's costly operation, suggesting that America's presence actually encourages a new class of terrorists to rise against the United States, and undermines attempts to bring about political and economic reform. Advocating a military withdrawal by January 31, 2005, Exiting Iraq emphasizes the importance of orchestrating a foreign policy that clearly defines and protects vital American interests overseas without squandering lives or resources.