There are two ways in which one can betray a total sense of ignorance about Iraq: they say that Saddam Hussein was a secularist, or that terrorism/Al Qaeda forces were not a problem in Iraq before the arrival of coalition forces. An anti-war critic who believes one of these can usually be heard saying that the War in Iraq must come to an immediate end. On this final point one must always ask in response: which war do they want to end exactly?
There currently are three major conflicts taking place in Iraq, as well as several minor sub-conflicts. The first of these is the civil war taking place between the Sunni and Shiite, fueled by religious differences. The second is the military defeat of Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a terrorist group that was in Iraq before we got there. The third is the protection of the secular and sovereign northern provinces of Kurdistan, which, though often overlooked by anti-war critics, is in my opinion the greatest success of the intervention.
The second and third conflicts would witness devastating consequences if an immediate withdrawal occurred. For one, Al Qaeda would, without serious opposition, inherit Saddam’s Iraq, an inevitable condition that would instantly lead to a catastrophic surge of violence, and yes, far worse than what is currently taking place. We could also confidently expect an invasion of Kurdistan (the largest minority in the world without its own state) by tribal and sectarian forces, like Turkey, Syria or the Iranian theocracy.
The first conflict, however, is being perpetuated by Bush’s support for Nouri al-Maliki, who is a Shiite sectarian. He has demonstrated his sectarian nature on several occasions, perhaps most notably by the disgusting manner in which he carried out Saddam’s execution, purposely trying to anger Sunnis by lynching him on the first day of the Islamic holiday Eid ul-Adha.
Any person who supports an immediate withdrawal from Iraq must consider the consequences that would have for the Kurds, and the unopposed power that Al Qaeda would definitely acquire.
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