La Voz

Jay Donde

On April 26, Congress passed an Iraq War bill that stipulated a withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2008. The following week, President Bush vetoed the bill, committing America to another year of war.

After 320 billion dollars, and 3,700 American dead, it's time for us to go. The question of what America should do in Iraq is irrelevant. The only important question is what it actually can do.

For Iraq to develop into a stable democracy, its myriad insurgencies would first have to be quelled. But America's own "Powell Doctrine" states that modern wars can only be won through mass deployment, rapid escalation and heavy investment in post-war infrastructure - the exact opposite of the policies that America has pursued.

Some may be wary of the consequences of a U.S. withdrawal, fearing increased violence and Iranian influence, but Iraq already is in civil war, and since 2003, Iranian sponsored Shiite factions have controlled Iraq's southern governates. Iranian intervention might not be so terrible.

After 9/11, Iran assisted U.S. efforts in the Middle East - that is, until Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech. Many diplomats even feel that Iran could be a stabilizing factor, and allow- ing its intervention could be a bargaining chip for the U.S. in negotiations on Iran's nukes.

The concern over Iranian oil control is unfounded, too. America purchases only five percent of its oil from Iraq and none from Iran. There's no reason to assume that Iran's influence on OPEC would significantly increase, and, as we all know, no reason to believe that oil prices have anything to do with supply.

The ugly truth is, America can't fulfill its responsibility to the Iraqi people, nor to its own soldiers. Consequently, we must pursue the best option available, even if it's not ideal, and that option is withdrawal.

Joseph Chen

Despite mounting pressure from the Democratic party and unpopular ratings, President Bush recently vetoed the bill that would effectively start a pull-out in October. This move rep- resents his administration's desire to see a future where there is "peace in the Middle East."

An early withdraw will not allow sufficient time for Iraq to re-develop its police and army forc- es, and will plunge Iraq into a long and violent civil war.

The conflict will not only spread to the greater Middle East, but to our own turf as well. It will come in the form of economic hardship and the eventual attack by terrorists. With many vital oil supplying and OPEC countries in the Middle East, destabilizing Iraq will exacerbate the security concerns of the region and drive up the price of oil. With 69 percent of our oil coming from OPEC and the Persian Gulf, we cannot afford as an economy to repeat the 1973 oil crisis. Ten-dollar gas and rationing? No way.

It would also effectively end America's involvement in foreign policy for the next decade. With controversy over North Korea and Iran's developing nuclear technologies, we cannot afford to be a lame duck.

Accomplishing peace will not be easy. Instead of calling for an early pullout of our forces, we should instead be calling for the administration to change its policy towards hostile countries in the region by opening up diplomatic lines of communication. We should talk to Iran, Syria, and the surrounding countries.

Both the Republicans and the Democrats must stop the in-fighting and political gambits and come together to form a solution that will stick. Because no matter what, we cannot afford to lose. We can choose to repeat the Vietnams or the Koreas of the past, or we can stand by our promise to the Iraqi people - to end the bloodshed that has continued for the last 4,000 years. America's chance to shine in the face of adversity is here.

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