Amid uncertainty, the United States
has ended the war in Iraq
In
a formal ceremony officially ending the U.S. war in Iraq, Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta told soldiers that they leave with pride, saying they
could be "secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to
cast tyranny aside." The nearly nine year long war cost about $800 billion and
resulted in 4,500 U.S. soldiers dead and 32,000 wounded. Over 100,000 Iraqis died
during the course of the war. At the conflict's peak in 2007, there were 170,000
U.S. forces in Iraq with 505 bases. The remaining 4,000 U.S. troops will leave within
the next two weeks. However, 4,000 soldiers will be stationed in neighboring
Kuwait, assisting with finalizing the departure as well as staying positioned to
return to Iraq if the need arises. About 150 soldiers will remain in Iraq along
with Pentagon civilians at the U.S. Embassy's Office
of Security Cooperation. Both President Obama, who met with Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki this week, and Panetta confirmed intentions to
maintain strong diplomatic relations with Iraq. With a continued
insurgency, political uncertainty, and sectarian
tension, the Iraqi public is divided over the withdrawal. Some claim the
U.S. departure will leave a vacuum for increased insecurity. Others celebrate
the withdrawal, saying the U.S. is "leaving behind killings, ruin, and mess."
Headlines
- An Islamist win is expected
after the second round of Egyptian
elections. Meanwhile, the ruling military released a draft of the presidential
election law.
- Defectors
killed 27 Syrian security forces in the southern city of Dara'a,
suggesting coordination by the armed insurgents in attacks.
- Human Rights Watch released a
report naming 74 Syrian commanders and officials, including President
Assad, who issued detainments, torture, and "shoot
to kill" orders.
- New Tunisian
President Moncef Marzouki asked for six months of political and social
truce, claiming if conditions do not improve in that time he will resign.
- After Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu increased the authority of soldiers
to clamp down on extremists, another mosque
was set on fire prompting President
Peres to meet with settler leaders.
Daily Snapshot
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - DECEMBER 14: An Iraqi Army special forces
soldier (C) keeps watch at a women's art exhibition sponsored by Iraqi
Parliament member Safi Asiheil in a posh Baghdad neighborhood on December 14,
2011 in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq is transitioning nearly nine years after the 2003
U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation. American forces are now in the midst
of the final stage of withdrawal from the war-torn country. At least 4,485 U.S.
military personnel have died in service in Iraq. According to the Iraq Body
Count, more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died from war-related violence (Mario Tama/Getty Images).
Arguments & Analysis
'Holding Libya together: security challenges after Qaddafi' (International Crisis Group)
"Until a more legitimate governing body is formed - which
likely means until elections are held - and until more credible
national institutions are developed, notably in the areas of defence,
policing and vital service delivery, Libyans are likely to be suspicious
of the political process, while insisting on both retaining their
weapons and preserving the current structure of irregular armed
brigades. To try to force a different outcome would be to play with
fire, and with poor odds. But that does not mean nothing can be done. Some of
the most worrying features of the security patchwork should be addressed
cooperatively between the NTC and local military as well as civilian
councils."
'In Iraq, a man of the shadows' (David Ignatius, Washington Post)
"Maliki's visit to Washington this week has been a time for taking
stock of Iraq eight years after the U.S. invasion. What did America
achieve in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and battling a stubborn
insurgency? It brought a democracy, yes, but one shaped by the most
basic and sometimes brutal facts of life -- allegiance to tribe, sect,
clandestine organization. Maliki is a figure of all these immutable forces, a man of the
shadows more than the sunlight. He seems to trust only those closest to
him, and his efforts to form broad coalitions have failed. The trust
deficit is nowhere more evident than in the energy sector, which should
make Iraq fantastically rich but is still hobbled by a lack of basic
legislation that would foster investment."
'Will Yemen's peace agreement hold?' (Ibrahim Sharqieh, The National Interest)
"While the agreement signals the start of a much-needed, highly
anticipated transition in Yemen, challenges remain. The most difficult
of these will be ensuring that the youth opposition in Change Square,
the center of protests in the capital city of Sanaa, accept the
legitimacy of the deal. Indeed, the parliamentary opposition represented
by the JMP signed the accord with Saleh, and they don't necessarily
have the support of the youth or the majority in the street. The youth
opposition who began the current uprising ten months ago represent a
real force in Yemen and will challenge any implementation of the
agreement without their approval. In fact, the protesters are already
questioning the agreement's legitimacy because it grants immunity to
Saleh, a pardon they have always fought against. The question of whether
the JMP had the right to grant Saleh immunity on behalf of, for
example, the families of those who died in protests in the city of Taiz
remains unsettled."
Latest from the Channel
-- 'Kuwait's short 19th century' by Nathan J. Brown
-- 'Libya's constitutional balancing act' by Sean Kane
-- 'Will the GCC stay on top?' by Marc Lynch
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